LOWELL — The rest of the Lowell Public Schools students who plan to return to in-person learning will be back Monday, but the return will look very different depending upon their grade.
Students in grades 6 through 8 will be back to a full five days per week of in-person classes following April vacation, while those at Lowell High School will take part in a hybrid model that may ultimately require a waiver from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, school administrators told the School Committee Wednesday.
Chief Academic Officer Robin Desmond said 514 students are anticipated to return to the main Lowell High building, and 311 at the Freshman Academy.
A significantly smaller number of high school students have opted to return to in-person learning compared to the lower grades, Superintendent of Schools Joel Boyd said. Lowell High has a total population of more than 3,000 students.
Boyd said the district is still awaiting formal guidance from DESE regarding high school reopening, but he’s confident it can obtain a state waiver to continue the hybrid model if required. He said he’s heard a mid-May return is being discussed.
“Given our school calendar, given the unique context of Lowell High School and given the extraordinary planning that’s gone into an April 26 return, if there were to be a waiver requested of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, this would be it,” Boyd said.
Under the high school hybrid model, students will attend school in-person beginning at 7:55 a.m. with a 12:20 p.m. dismissal with grab-and-go lunch, Desmond said. The classes for the remainder of the day will be held virtually, resuming at 1:15 p.m., she said. Rotating student schedules will remain intact, Desmond said.
Any students among the 3% who returned Feb. 22 to substantially-separate special-education classrooms and those among the 25% that returned March 1 will remain in full in-person learning, Desmond said. Students in kindergarten through grade 5 returned to full in-person learning April 5 under the state’s reopening guidelines.
Families continue to have the option to keep their children in remote learning. Those with students in kindergarten through grade 5 who wish to return to in-person may switch on May 3, and all grades may switch on May 24, Desmond said.
The committee also heard a presentation from Lowell High Head of School Michael Fiato outlining the school’s planning process for changes focused on improving equity and educational outcomes for all students.
Among the initiatives Fiato discussed were ensuring more students with disabilities reach graduation, addressing racial discipline disparities such as the high ratio of Hispanic/Latinx students who have historically received out-of-school suspensions compared to the overall student population and a goal for all students to have a post-secondary pathway. He also discussed collaborative efforts with community partners to provide more early college, internship and apprenticeship opportunities for students.
To assist in meeting the goals, Fiato proposed creating a new associate head of school position, adding a database and systems administrator to better utilize data and additional mental health and social-emotional learning support staff.
In other business, the committee also approved motions seeking:
- An update on Lowell High graduation and participation of JROTC cadets, band and chorus. Fiato said graduation is scheduled for June 14 at LeLacheur Park.
- An update on the status of the Lowell High construction project. Fiato said the project is on schedule and on budget.
- A report with each school’s improvement plan and School Site Council representative process with names, roles, contact and other information for members.
- The schools to collaborate with the public works, police and parks departments to prioritize maintenance and safety of parks near schools; prioritize adding play structures to the Rogers Stem Academy, the Cardinal O’Connell Early Learning Center and the Bartlett Community Partnership schools; and work together to assess the feasibility and availability of tents for schools to use during the extended summer program. Two parents spoke in favor of the motion, citing inequities in outdoor play options across the schools and the importance of physical activity for student wellbeing.
