Schools

Wilmington School Committee Votes For Remote-To-Hybrid Phase-In

The transition timeline was left at the superintendent's discretion, based on safety measures and public health data.

The Wilmington School Committee voted for the schools to begin the year fully remote, Wednesday evening.
The Wilmington School Committee voted for the schools to begin the year fully remote, Wednesday evening. (Shutterstock)

WILMINGTON, MA — The Wilmington School Committee voted to reopen the schools with full remote learning followed by a phased-in hybrid model, Wednesday evening.

The committee's vote left the timing of the transition at the discretion of the superintendent, who had proposed a phase-in approach that would begin with much smaller cohorts attending in person as early as the second day of school.

The committee voted five to zero, with two absent, in favor of Committee Chair Jennifer Bryson's motion to approve the superintendent's plan, including all three reopening models.

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"The superintendent is authorized to make all operational decisions about the implementation of these models, with the understanding that the district will use a phased-in approach to the start of the school year, beginning with full remote learning and transitioning to a hybrid model when he determines that the appropriate safety measures and public health data are in place," Bryson said as part of her motion.

Superintendent Glenn Brand had noted a number of issues the district still needs to resolve before going hybrid, including staffing and labor negotiations, receiving personal protective equipment orders and evaluating and potentially upgrading HVAC systems.

Find out what's happening in Wilmingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The superintendent had proposed a phase-in that would conform to the hybrid model, but bring in only one-third of each cohort each day, for the first week and a half. This would allow students to meet their teachers in person while greatly reducing the amount of people in the building while everyone got used to safety protocols. The full hybrid model would go into place Sept. 28.

As the first day of school, Sept. 16, is a Wednesday, the first day of Brand's proposed hybrid model would be remote for all students, but it is unclear whether that qualifies as a "full remote" opening.

In response to feedback from committee members, Brand said that his phase-in model was flexible and the Sept. 28 date for a full hybrid model was not strict.

"The date that I suggested, the end of September, may become later," Brand said. "But I don't see the need for us to put stakes in the ground to open fully remotely. I'm trying to say, I can see us on the path to hybrid, but give us some time to get there."

Bryson described her motion as "moving toward hybrid when and if it's safe."

Under the district's proposed hybrid plan, students will be split into two cohorts, which will attend in person either Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday. Wednesday mornings would have both groups taught together synchronously, while other remote time would be for classwork and assignments, through Google Classroom.

For a remote start, students will still be split into cohorts but only as preparation to shift to a hybrid model. The two cohorts will be taught together.

Committee members Jesse Fennelly and Stephen Bjork were absent for the meeting.

The full meeting is available here from WCTV.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.


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