Summer 2020 was hardly a vacation for local school officials, with Millis Public Schools and Tri-County Vocational Regional Technical High School among public schools across the state working hard to develop plans to submit to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 

Initial guidance from DESE was released on June 25, 2020, with Comprehensive Special Education Guidance released July 9, 2020 and UPDATED Guidance and FAQ from DESE released July 10, 2020. Preliminary plans from each school were due to DESE by July 31st, (prior to Local Town Pages’ deadline), with a Comprehensive Plan due in early to mid-August.

“We are working on developing the three plans that we have to submit to DESE by the end of the month: Full return, Hybrid with about 50% in school at a time, and 100% Remote,” said Nancy Gustafson, Superintendent of Millis Public Schools, in mid-July. “We will present our DRAFT Plans to School Committee on the 21st. So much is up in the air, still.”

Tri-County Superintendent Stephen Dockray, was tasked with this plan for his vocational high school, which encompasses 11 local towns and has an enrollment of close to 1,000 students. 

“We have to look at trying to get as many kids into the school building as possible. It’s going to be challenging,” said Dockray, in mid-July. “We’re still very much in the preliminary stages of planning. Busing is a big issue, how many kids can we fit on a bus, how many kids are going to be able to be socially distant on a bus.”

On the vocational side, Dockray noted, “It really doesn’t lend itself to remote learning. We want to get kids back into the shops in person, but then you have the safety and the health issues. I think the state is still unsure. Those are some of the questions, but then you compound that with where are the kids going to eat lunch, and sports is another whole big issue we’re still unsure of. We’re waiting for some guidance on that.”

Dockray says some teachers, as well, who might have underlying conditions and will feel unsafe in the school environment. 

“We may not do what our member communities do. We’re a vocational school, and I think it’s important to get those students to earn the hours and the knowledge they need to gain. We’re still not sure how we’re going to do it. Most parents want to see in-person, but they only want to see in-person if you can guarantee the health of their student. It’s going to be difficult to get all the students in here. 

Dockray says students will definitely have to wear masks, but the school was looking at working breaks from the masks into the school day. Everything, he says, was dependent on the coronavirus remaining in check in the state.