EASTHAMPTON — A dozen students began taking classes in-person under a hybrid model at the high school on Monday.
Superintendent Allison LeClair, said the students’ return was going “exceptionally well so far.”
“Their parents were very happy,” LeClair said. “The teachers were out there meeting them.”
However, the union that represents staff in the district continues to have concerns about working conditions and protocols at the school, even as the school prepares to start educating kindergarten students under a hybrid model next week.
“Staff are working hard to make sure the opening is safe and comfortable for students, but many of us feel anxious because we have unanswered questions about this reopening,” reads a letter released by the Easthampton Education Association’s bargaining team on Monday.
The 18 students beginning education under a hybrid model at the school throughout this week are all special education students, ranging from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade.
Twelve students from Grades 3 to 8, spread out across four different programs, began hybrid learning Monday. Pre-kindergartners will start Tuesday. There is no pre-kindergarten for students without special needs offered by the district this school year.
The students starting hybrid learning this week will be going to school in-person for half days four days a week, with the other half of the day being remote instruction. The fifth day for these students will be completely remote.
All students taking advantage of the hybrid model are doing so voluntarily, as fully remote education continues to be offered to any student whose family requests it.
All students have been educated fully remotely in Easthampton this school year since Sept. 14, a precaution put into place because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The high school has been selected for the kickoff of hybrid education in the city because, as the newest school building in the district, its air filtration system meets all state standards.
LeClair said an outside engineering firm has evaluated the ventilation systems at all school buildings in the district, and the high school completed all of the firm’s recommendations from the first phase of its evaluation before students returned for hybrid education.
Next Monday, the district is set to take another step forward in the implementation of the hybrid model, with kindergartners returning. LeClair said 73 students are planning to take advantage of the hybrid model out of a class of 114, or 64% of the class.
The kindergartners in hybrid education will spend two days of the week in in-school education, and three days of the week in remote education. One group will be in the high school Mondays and Tuesdays, while another will be in the high school Thursdays and Fridays.
In its letter to the community, the union bargaining team said that, “We all agree that in-person teaching works better, especially for very young students and those with special needs. We also understand that systems must be in place to keep students, staff and the community as safe as possible.”
The letter says that clarity is required on important safety questions, and that the union is prepared to do marathon bargaining sessions with the district to complete a memorandum of agreement on working conditions. It also calls for the district to be communicative with staff, provide health and safety data regarding the condition of the schools, and to be nimble in its approach to COVID-19.
In response to the letter, LeClair said the school district administration and negotiating team are working in good faith to resolve issues with the union.
“This letter, and the union’s recent comments to the media, are dismaying, and represent one side of the challenges we face,” LeClair said in an email.
Asked about safety questions, association president Nellie Taylor said it’s more about the process going forward.
“What we need is one clear message that doesn’t change on follow-up,” Taylor said.
The staff that the association represents includes teachers, para-educators, custodians, nurses, administrative assistants, counseling staff and other specialists.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.