Salem Schools Target Jan. 4 For All Grades To Return To Class

SALEM, MA — All students who want to return to the classroom in Salem may have that opportunity in early 2021 after Salem Superintendent of Schools Stephen Zrike targeted Jan. 4 for the return of grades that remain in remote-only learning.

Zrike made the presentation to the Salem School Committee Monday night on the same day the district welcomed back students in grades pre-kindergarten through second grade, sixth grade and ninth grade, as well as some vocational students, for the first time in more than eight months because of the coronavirus health crisis.

The goal of the initial returns was to bring back the youngest students, and students in their respective first years in a new building first, with the hope of bringing back more students when possible.

"I am hoping it's sooner than later," Zrike told Patch last week. “It's heart-wrenching. Not everybody, but the majority of families want to be back in school. It's heart-wrenching to tell people that we want you back, but we are not ready yet.

"You can see kids thriving off their connection to school, their connection to teachers. And a lot of students are tired of the isolation (of remote learning)."

Parents and guardians who wish to keep students in remote learning will retain that option through the end of the 2020-21 academic year.

Zrike told the School Committee Monday night that he was submitting the Jan. 4 target date to allow for sufficient advanced notice and preparation time. The plan follows a similar timeline to the Nov. 16 returns proposed at the end of September.

The proposed return for all grades will follow a similar hybrid model the district is using for the grades that started this week where students would return in cohorts two days per week. Space and transportation limits prevent schools from returning on a full-time, full-day basis for now, Zrike said.

"We don't believe that given the community's commitment to 6 feet distancing it is feasible," Zrike said of full-day learning two weeks ago. "Our model, beyond (pre-kindergarten) to grade 2, will have to be a hybrid model. As we begin talking about bringing more students back that is something that we're actively discussing and considering. Because it is not feasible for us to maintain the 6 foot distance and have every student return in person.

"We would have to go below that (6 feet). And there hasn't been an appetite — deservedly so — from medical experts in our communities, from our families and our staff for doing that."

Zrike said the district is working with the teachers' union to make sure it has enough staffing for the scheduled return. Higher grades require more staffing and high school is particularly challenging because students all have different schedules and don't remain in the same cohorts throughout the day.

Despite rising coronavirus rates in the city, and the region, Zrike told Patch last week that relatively low transmission rates found within formal school settings should allow schools to remain in person, at least for now.

The Salem School Committee also voted to approve Zrike's plan for turning traditional "snow days"this winter into remote learning days so there do not have to be days added to the end of the school year to hit the state's 170-day minimum.

The School Committee also voted to support a resolution waiving the MCAS requirement for one year because of the coronavirus disruptions.

Related Patch Coverage: No More 'Snow Days' For Salem Public Schools

Most Salem Students To Remain In Hybrid Model In Classroom Return

A Salem 'First Day Of School' Like No Other In History

Salem Superintendent Targets November For In-School Return