Marblehead Schools To Decide Coronavirus Reopening Plan Next Week

MARBLEHEAD, MA — The Marblehead School Committee will meet twice next week to finalize coronavirus-related plans for the reopening of schools this fall.

Superintendent John Buckey told Patch that a Tuesday meeting will be held to hear recommendations and listen to public input on any mask or other virus guidelines. A second meeting will then be Thursday to vote on final reopening plans for the first day of school on Sept. 1.

Buckey did not detail his recommendation to the school committee regarding indoor masking, distancing, quarantine protocols and other related issues, but did say: "I feel Marblehead is in a unique position with our vaccination rate and the number of cases we are seeing."

Most North Shore districts are set to decide on their respective plans next week in an effort to get as much updated coronavirus information as possible before schools reopen five days per week for in-classroom learning.

Salem is an exception with its School Committee voting over the past two weeks to require indoor masking for all students and staff regardless of vaccination status to start the year, as well as mandating that students 12 or older in "high-respiration" extracurricular activities such as sports, band and chorus either be vaccinated or wear masks while performing those activities even when outdoors.

Buckey said his goal for Marblehead this year is to rebuild "relationships, relationships, relationships" that might have fallen into disconnect during the past 18 months of hybrid learning, cohorts and intermittent quarantines.

"I want to be out in schools, in classrooms, at games and concerts and other events as much as possible," he said. "We have missed those connections that COVID often prohibited."

Buckey said the district is finalizing its Planning for Success strategic plan.

"I am excited about launching those practices and the initiatives to support them," he said.

Buckey said he is also greatly anticipating the opening of the Joseph & Lucretia Brown Elementary School on Oct. 13 as "a celebration of our community's support of public education."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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