RI's governor OK'd remote learning in high schools. These 10 districts are doing something different.

PROVIDENCE - With COVID cases rising rapidly, Gov. Gina Raimondo last week gave superintendents the option of reducing the number of high school students learning in person.

At least 10 suburban or rural districts have chosen to stick with their current hybrid models, either because their numbers of positive COVID cases remain low or because they feel in-person learning is the best scenario for students.

In those communities, parents have been mostly in favor of in-person learning, especially for younger students who benefit from having a teacher in front of them and are less likely to stay engaged online.

Initially, there was some confusion over whether the move to a partial in-person opening was a mandate or a suggestion. Deputy Commissioner Ana Riley sent a letter to school leaders telling districts to reduce their in-person high school capacity to 25 percent of total enrollment. 

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Then, on Thursday of last week, Gov. Raimondo said districts had the option to adopt this measure or stay with their current plans. 

“We’re sticking with what we have,” said Smithfield Supt. Judy Paolucci, whose high school has a hybrid model. “The current course is working for us. Our biggest challenge is making sure our students do an appropriate level of work on the day they are virtual. We don’t want to add more virtual time.”

In an informal survey, Barrington, Narragansett,  Burrillville, Smithfield, North Smithfield, Foster-Glocester, Narragansett, Cumberland, Westerly and Lincoln are among those districts that are staying put. 

Lincoln Supt. Larry Filippelli said his high school is already operating with about 30 percent of its total population on any given day, so there was no need to drop attendance even further.

“We have such a low number of cases in totality,” he said. “Why would you disrupt everyone’s lives and schedules and move to partial instruction?"

If Lincoln reduced its population to 25 percent, Filippelli said, 9th and 10th grades would have to go remote: “We erred on the side of keeping kids in school.”

Cumberland Supt. Robert Mitchell said he didn’t want to add to the disruption his families have already experienced.

“We just felt that it was in their best interest to be in school, even if it’s only two days a week,” Mitchell said. “Both students and parents were grateful that we did that. We’ve heard from Dr. Jha (Brown University’s dean of public health) that schools are probably the safest place for students.”

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Narragansett Supt. Peter Cummings said he appreciates that Raimondo has been sensitive to the needs of each school district. Currently half of its high school population is in school on any particular day under a hybrid model. 

“We know schools work better in person,” he said. “Distance learning doesn’t replace face-to-face interaction.”

Urban districts face a different challenge, however. Not only are the case positive rates much higher in the community, but, since the schools are much larger, one positive case can affect dozens of people. 

In Providence, which has a 15-percent positivity rate, staff shortages at several of the middle and elementary schools have left schools scrambling to replace absent teachers, even principals, and a vocal group of parents and teachers have repeatedly called for the district to move to distance learning.  

Beginning Monday, Providence will move to a partial in-person model, reducing the percentage of students attending high school in person to no more than 25 percent. High schools are currently operating with a 50-percent capacity, with students alternating between in-person and distance learning.

Under this model, most 9th and 12th graders will continue to alternate between in-person and distance learning. However, most students in 10th and 11th grades will move exclusively to distance learning.

By contrast, Woonsocket decided last week to shift all of its schools to remote learning at the end of November. In a letter to families, Supt. Patrick McGee said that while he respects Raimondo’s guidance, he is choosing a different path for his students. 

Linda Borg covers education for The Journal.