Peabody Schools To Remain Hybrid Despite State Push For Full Day

PEABODY, MA — Peabody Superintendent of Schools Dr. Josh Vadala said district schools will likely remain in a hybrid learning model amid rising coronavirus rates despite the state's call last week to bring more students back to full-time, in-classroom learning.

Vadala told Patch on Tuesday that request is not feasible in the district based on the recommendations for at least 6 feet of social distancing, and that plans are to keep Peabody in the hybrid system he said has been "fairly successful" for nearly two months.

"We've been committed since the very beginning to get as many kids in school as safely as possible," Vadala said. "That has been our mantra. (The Peabody hybrid) has been fairly successful. All of the cases in our schools have all been because of either household or community transmission.

"Based on all the information we have, we are committed to maintaining our hybrid model."

Like most schools across the state, Peabody had plans to move to fully remote learning if coronavirus rates rose into the "high risk" category for community spread during the school year.

But based on a recent reevaluation of those plans in conjunction with city leaders, health officials and education leaders, it was determined — in line with state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommendations — that schools could maintain some in-classroom learning even during a community case spike if outbreaks were not based in the schools.

Peabody's cases rates rose to new highs since the state began publishing town-by-town counts in August last week when they rose to 15.1 cases per 100,000 people — nearly double the 8.0 cases per 100,000 that would have deemed the city "high risk" just last week before the state altered the metrics for a "high risk" community in an admitted effort to avoid the type of automatic triggers for remote learning half the districts in the state were about to face under the old metrics.

"We continue to see too many communities with children learning in remote-only models," Gov. Charlie Baker said in a news conference.

"The guidance from DESE and guidance from the government has changed over time," Vadala countered. "We read it. We digest it. We talk about it. We make the best decision we can for our community."

The Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents weighed in with a similar response on Monday.

"Based on the guidance provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the decision of the administration to have each school district determine its return to school plan, the better part of spring, and summer, were spent by local districts to develop plans, negotiate agreements with local unions, and abide by the health and safety protocols," the superintendents association said in a statement. "While superintendents have been strong advocates for as much in-school learning as possible, there are several realities, which require the governor's help before many months of planning can be altered."

The association said those include revising transportation capacity limits to allow more students on buses, giving districts collective bargaining relief when it comes to teachers' union that have made good faith agreements based on previous metrics and revising the 6-foot social distancing guideline that makes putting a typical school full of students in a school impossible.

"We need medical experts to explicitly coalesce around safe distancing which allows for increased student capacity in classrooms," the statement said.

Vadala said a study this summer determined Peabody could it could accommodate 3 feet of social distancing — though "it would be tight" — but that he does not want any changes to jeopardize the health of students and staff.

"We've been focusing on the measures we have in place and we've been successful in this model," Vadala said. "I'd love to bring more students back, and would love to have full-day, in-person learning, but not at the sacrifice of our safety."

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