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New Haven mayor: Families need 'some certainty' as schools head for reopening

New Haven Register - 10/14/2020

Oct. 14--NEW HAVEN -- School officials say the district remains on track to open buildings to students for the first time since March, with less than a month to go until the start of the second marking period of the academic year.

Four of the Board of Education's seven members had voted to keep buildings closed for the first marking period over concerns that not enough was done to safeguard against the spread of COVID-19; expectations were high that district staff had used the extra 10 weeks to implement adequate safety measures.

Three of board members who voted to keep buildings closed now say they believe the district is on the right track for a Nov. 9 reopening.

Board member Larry Conaway said that if there were a vote on reopening schools this week he'd be "shaky," but his experience joining district staff as they did walkthroughs of every school with a team of experts and professionals gave him some more confidence.

"I think we're moving in the right direction," he said.

Board member Tamiko Jackson-McArthur said that she still had some more questions about the district's plans to ensure safety for reopening schools, but the school-by-school walks were "exactly what I was looking for in the beginning."

However, board member Darnell Goldson said he would be against reopening the schools, claiming that district officials have substituted transparency and communication with colorful charts to display at meetings.

"If I had a vote tonight and there was a majority willing to do it, I'd recommend immediately we not open for in-class (instruction) on Nov. 9," he said.

Despite some criticism of New Haven's preparedness to reopen schools, he said the low virus transmission compared to other Connecticut cities that did opt to open school buildings could be a sign that the school board made the right call the first time.

"We had this low infection rate so everybody says we're so low we should open, but we're low because we haven't opened," he said. "Maybe common sense doesn't work in this situation."

Goldson said one of the largest oversights was the district's unwillingness to do screening before students enter schools. City Health Director Maritza Bond said the city is asking parents to screen students at home before sending them into school, and to report whether the student shows symptoms.

Goldson said that it's typical for building leaders to greet students as they enter buildings in younger grades and high school students must pass through security each morning.

"We can stand at the door and ask kids questions, and if they don't pass that assessment they could be forced to quarantine or bring a negative test in," he said.

Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey said there is a screening mechanism: if a student shows two or more symptoms, they report to the school nurse.

Mayor Justin Elicker, who supports reopening schools, said he agreed with Goldson's point about screening.

"I'm sure there's some logistical challenges, but I think it's not a bad idea," he said.

Board member Ed Joyner, who was one of the four board members who voted against reopening the schools for a marking period, expressed enthusiasm for the district's efforts.

"I think New Haven is pointing the way for the entire nation," he said.

He proposed stating affirmatively that the school board would support reopening the schools on Nov. 9. Goldson, despite his stated reservations, said he would support that with an amendment: that the teachers' union and building leader sign off on a building's preparedness before it opens.

Elia Alexiades, the city attorney who works for the school board, suggested that doing so would bring up legal issues around collective bargaining.

Ultimately, Joyner withdrew his motion before a vote, but some board members said the spirit of the motion was important to convey to the public.

"I think it's very important that families have some certainty," said Elicker. "We need to be clear that, because of our previous vote, that we will be going into the hybrid model and families can intend for, if they choose, their children to go back to school on Nov. 9."

Elicker said that district staff have been clear that the district would not keep schools open beyond what is safe if there were an outbreak, so he supports the plans to move forward.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com

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