Most Framingham Students May Return To Classrooms In February

Framingham MA

04 February, 2021

7:54 AM

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FRAMINGHAM, MA — After nearly a full year away from school buildings, most students in Framingham may be headed back to classrooms in a few weeks. At Wednesday's School Committee meeting, Superintendent Robert Tremblay said the district may begin hybrid classes for general education students after February vacation, which means a start date around Feb. 22. "We have work to do, we have to get back," Tremblay said. The district began preparing to bring students back last month. On Thursday, groups of special education students began returning to classrooms. Those students had been in school buildings over the fall, but were forced to switch to remote classes when coronavirus began spreading in schools. Coronavirus cases have been declining in Framingham in recent weeks, but are not yet at target levels Tremblay and the Framingham Health Department had set for a return in late 2020. Tremblay said the district feels comfortable with "risk mitigation factors" in place — items like requiring masks, distancing policies, teacher testing and a pooled coronavirus testing program for classrooms. Tremblay warned there likely will be students and staff in schools that will test positive or have to leave school to quarantine. Recently, the Framingham Teachers Association (FTA) has pushed back on the February return to classrooms citing health and safety concerns. Teachers have asked the district wait until vaccines are doled out before returning to classrooms. Teachers are in the phase two group, which means they may get their first shot in February. But Tremblay said waiting for the first and second rounds to be complete would push a return to schools back months. Framingham is one of about 40 school districts that sent a letter to Gov. Charlie Baker this week asking him to prioritize educators for vaccines. The district has increased pay for substitute teachers using federal stimulus dollars anticipating absences this spring. Tremblay said the district is waiting on a vendor for the pooled testing program before announcing an exact start date for general education students. The state will fund pooled testing through March 28, and Framingham will pay for it following that.