What To Expect When RI Schools Reopen

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island schools will reopen this fall after being closed in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Wednesday.

"I am setting a goal that in Rhode Island will return to full, in-person school this fall," Raimondo said. "There is no substitute for in-person learning. Our students will do better if they can have in-person learning."

The state will operate under a standardized, statewide calendar approved by the Rhode Island Department of Health. The first day of school will be Aug. 31. Important dates are listed below.

• Winter break: Feb. 15 to 19
• Spring break: April 19 to 23
• Professional development days: Sept. 21, Oct. 19, Nov. 16, Dec. 14, Jan. 25, March 15, April 12, May 17
• Projected last day of school: June 16

Professional development and snow days will be instructional and rely on distance learning.

"The snow days the way we knew them before are gone," Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green said. "We can do distance learning."

Schools will look at lot different in the coming year, Raimondo said, with less crowding, more cleaning, and certain mask-wearing requirements. In addition, anyone who is sick at all cannot go to school, she said.

"We have prided ourselves in a perfect attendance culture," Raimondo said. "That is going to have to change. ... This is not a flick of a switch. This is not back to normal."

The decision to reopen comes at the recommendation of the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention and Rhode Island Department of Health, Raimondo said, who agreed that by phase three of reopening, it is safe to do so.

Opening schools is an important part of reopening the economy, Raimondo said, because parents cannot return to work if their children are at home, especially young ones.

"I want you to have confidence you can do this too, that we can open school, across Rhode Island, on Aug. 31, and build a top-notch school together," Raimondo said.

All districts will be required to submit plans to the state detailing several scenarios: most students back in classrooms, a hybrid model and a return to fully distance learning. All plans must be submitted by July 17. On June 19, a list of requirements for schools will be posted on the Rhode Island Department of education and Reopening RI websites.

"I am super excited because I have two kids in my house," Infante-Green said. "They need to be around their friends. They need to be in a social setting that's safe. We all know school is more than academics."

The requirements for additional cleaning, personal protective equipment and more will require extra funding. To help ease the financial burden, Raimondo said the state will provide $42 million in federal coronavirus relief funding to districts across the state, with more available is needed.

Busing will be a challenge, Infante-Green said, since children cannot be crowded into vehicles in the same way as before. The state is considered staggered start times, more buses and more bus runs to help alleviate this issue.

Raimondo also highlighted the statewide graduation celebration planned for Monday, to be aired on Rhode Island PBS. The event will feature several special guests, including Rhode Island native Viola Davis and others. Immediately after, a concert featuring "Grammy-winning artists" will air, and the governor encouraged everyone to tune in as a sign of solidarity.

Patch editor Scott Souza contributed to this report.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said spring break will be from April 19 to 21. The correct end date is April 23.