Salem Schools Detail Possible November Return To Classroom

SALEM, MA — Salem families could have the option of sending their youngest students back to the classroom following the November break,

Superintendent of Schools Stephen Zrike, who has repeatedly stated his desire to transition from full remote learning to in-classroom learning this fall, said in a letter to the school community that this week families of students in kindergarten through third grade will be contacted to gauge interest in an in-school return following November break, as he acknowledged frustration and difficulty for some students in the remote system.

"We will be asking families whether you want more in-person learning or if you know you will keep your student remote, and, if in-person, if your student will need a bus," Zrike said. "The decision next week is not binding, but future changes to your answers limit our ability to move forward as a system. We are excited to be planning to have more students in person, and appreciate your help."

Zrike said Salem Schools also want to consider more in-classroom learning opportunities for students in fourth grade through ninth grade.

"As always, we remain committed to following public health guidance and our community spread data," Zrike said. "So this is all dependent on our continued mitigation of the virus as a community and following our health and safety strategies."

Salem remained on the cusp of being a "green" safe community, according to last week's state data. The city, which was in the "red" hot spot zone in August, saw virus rates drop steadily for about a month before it stabilized in recent weeks.

As of the most recent state data, Salem had a test-positive rate of 1.1 percent and 4.0 cases per 100,000 people. The state average at the time was 0.9 positive rate and 4.9 cases per 100,000 residents.

Zrike said a return to school would include classes up to 16 students with 6 feet of distance between desks, including those of teachers. He said some changes to the daily schedule may be necessary in a potential return.

"We believe that through the hard work of our educators and schools that the virtual learning experience is significantly more meaningful and streamlined than the crisis teaching we delivered from one day to the next in the spring," Zrike said. "Ultimately, we believe there is no substitute for in-person learning, especially for our youngest students. As promised, we are working diligently to revisit our previous plan to provide in-person instruction for our primary grade students within the first quarter of the school year."

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