Bedford High School and John Glenn Middle School are on track to reopen for full-time learning before the end of April, administrators told the School Committee at its virtual meeting Tuesday.
Editor’s Note: The March 9 School Committee meeting is underway; this article will be updated on Wednesday morning, March 10.
“My expectation is that we will be either on time or ahead of schedule,” said School Superintendent Philip Conrad. “Our planning committee continue to work and will come back. We will definitely beat the 28th.”
April 28 is the state-imposed deadline for all public schools to reopen grades 6-8. High school officials told the committee that they want to be in sync with the schedule at John Glenn Middle School. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has not set the timetable for the return of grades 9-12, but it has said that there will be an announcement sometime in April, followed by two weeks to implement.
There was no formal vote at the meeting. The committee heard updated details of reopening plans.
The full remote option will continue, as allowed in the state education department’s announcement. BHS Principal Heather Galante said families will have the option to switch to that model The current hybrid model will be dissolved.
There are some uncertainties. One is the sate requirement for distancing in schools. Bedford schools all year have been operating with six feet of distancing. There are indications that will be relaxed at the state level. “We have options for ix feet, four feet, three feet — whatever DESE says we can fit in each classroom,” Galante said.
Another issue is how to account for Wednesdays, which have not been full school days in any of Bedford’s four schoolhouses this year. The DESE order is for five days a week.
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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