RI School Districts Except Providence, Central Falls: "Green Light" For In-Person Learning Sept 14

RI School Districts Except Providence, Central Falls: "Green Light" For In-Person Learning Sept 14

Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo said Monday that all school districts -- except Providence and Central Falls -- have the "green light" to fully retun to schools on September 14. 

"It is our expectation that is exactly what you'll do," said Raimondo, while also noting that districts will be allowed leeway about bringing students back to classrooms next month. 

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As several school districts have voted for online-only learning, Raimondo said she believes it opens up school districts to litigation, if parents want in-person learning. 

Raimondo warned school districts could face lawsuits -- or lose federal funding -- if in-person learning does not take place by October 14. 

"We need to find a way to work together where we all feel safe," said Commissioner Angélica Infante Green. 

Phased-In Approach

"Some districts will be faster, and some will have a more cautious approach — we’re saying open as much as you can," said Raimondo. "There will be staggered starts — have some patience with principals, teachers and us as we get it right. We think it will take about a month to ease into a full reopening."

"New hallway, lunch, cafeteria, bathroom, drop-off, pick-up procedures...some schools I know are bringing back 1 or 2 grades per school in the first week. Others are doing a week of distance learning," said Raimondo. "No one’s ever going to force your child to go to school."

"By October 13 they all ought to be back in school," said Raimondo however. "We’re not going into this blind.  If it doesn’t work, we’ll adjust. We’re there for you 24/7. Call the operations center and tell us what you need."

"To our teachers — we need you. Your is the most important profession there is. I know a lot of you are nervous. I’m asking you to trust us that we’ll keep you safe," she said.

State to Revisit Providence, Central Falls in a Month -- Allowed Partial Reopening

Raimondo noted that as Providence and Central Falls do not currently meet the state criteria of having fewer than 100 new cases per 100,000 residents per week, they are not eligible for full in-person learning. 

Raimondo added however that those districts have the option for partially reopening in person. 

"We recommend they reopen partially and not in person. That doesn’t mean no in-person learning can occur," said Raimondo. "You need to start with fewer students in classrooms. There’s a focus on younger kids to get in school — transitional years — 6th grade, 9th grade — kids who have learning disabilities. Even in middle and high schools there will be some in-person learning."

See Providence's Plan BELOW

"In about a month, DOH will have a check-in with Providence and Central Falls, on October 13 or thereabout," said Raimondo, of reevaluating whether they can then go back for full in-person learning. 

Raimondo also addressed private and parochial schools

"Private independent religious [schools] — based on the fact the state has met these metrics — you are free to open for full in-person learning," said Raimondo. "You are not bound [by] the municipal metrics."

Testing in Focus

"We’ve done more testing than ever -- 45,000 tests in 7 days," said Raimondo. "Our percent positive rate continues to be among the lowest we’ve seen — it’s now at 1.2%"

Last week, Dr. Michael Fine, the former Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, said that with the introduction of testing of college students coming into Rhode Island, that the percent positive number is now "practically meaningless."

City of Providence Plan

Providence Public Schools announced Monday it will start the school year with a partial reopening that offers in-person learning for all elementary grades and a combination of in-person and distance learning for other grades.

“We are excited to welcome our students back to school, and we are dedicated to getting off to a great start,” said Superintendent Harrison Peters. “We appreciate that Governor Raimondo and Commissioner Infante-Green relied on science and the latest data to prioritize safety when determining the best reopening scenario for Providence Public Schools this fall.”

This announcement does not impact the approximately 6,500 students who chose to enroll in the Virtual Learning Academy, which will follow a 100% remote learning model through January. 

Details of the partial reopening are as follows:

·         Students from prekindergarten to grade 5 will return to school in person beginning Sept. 14.

·         Students in grades 6 and 9 will start the school year with an alternating schedule that switches daily between distance learning and in-person learning. The schedule repeats every two weeks.

·         At this writing, students in grades 7 and  10 are scheduled to begin the school year with distance learning only and transition to an alternating schedule by Sept. 28.

·         Also at this writing, students in grades 8, 11 and 12 will begin the school year with distance learning only and transition to an alternating schedule by Oct. 13.

·         Certain special populations of 6th-12th graders, such as select multilingual learners and students in self-contained special education programs, will be able to return to school for in-person learning either on a daily or alternating basis, beginning Sept. 14.

Alternating schedules allow secondary schools to reduce their capacity by 50%—one of several measures the district is taking to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. To enact these schedules, students will be assigned to one of two groups. Group A will report to school on the days that Group B follows distance learning, and Group B will report to school on the days that Group A follows distance learning.

The district will inform families of their group assignments no later than close of business on Wednesday, Sept. 2. It is important to note that, to make the alternating schedule more manageable for families, the district will assign siblings to the same group, even if they attend different schools. The district is also working on a parent guide to help walk families through the reopening of schools in Providence.