Last night, the Masconomet School Committee voted to begin the 2020-2021 school year under the remote learning option presented in the Draft Masconomet Reopening Plan. We are currently planning for student instruction to begin on September 21st. The Committee also endorsed the Administration’s plan to revisit the decision to implement the remote plan on October 7, 2020, and make the decision to either shift to a hybrid model or remain in a remote model based on the trends in local COVID-19 infections that occur between now and early October.
I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to provide the School Committee and me with their thoughts around the best way for the District to restart school for students in September. There are many points of view on this very important decision and I know that I speak for the members of the School Committee in saying that we appreciate the respectful and constructive tone that has characterized the dialogue around this decision.
Over the next few weeks, we will be finalizing our plans to implement the remote learning model. At the same time, we will also continue our preparations to implement a hybrid model in October if the conditions allow it. We will keep you informed of our plans, including orientation activities for students, as we get closer to the first day of school for students in September.
Sincerely,
Mike Harvey
Superintendent
News from the Masconomet Superintendent 
This is very disappointing. Given the DESE and APA guidance I find this decision to be inconsistent with the health and well being of our children, the MASCO students. The MASCO community has done a lot of work and research to develop procedures to allow for in person learning. How is it that private schools in the local area can open for in person instruction, doing the same mitigation efforts MASCO proposed in the hybrid learning model? What is keeping MASCO from opening? I understand the vote was made not to open, but based on what? DESE and the medical community is supporting a return to school with health and safety guidelines, what guidelines could MASCO not support using the hybrid model? Reviewing the work to date I was under the impression the school was able to make the necessary accommodations; although it did entail effort. The plans to reopen should be to reduce risk, nothing will ever ELIMINATE the risk completely. There is still risk to families just by living in the community. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states, “No single action or set of actions will completely eliminate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but implementation of several coordinated interventions can greatly reduce that risk.” Why is this not acceptable to the school committee? Why can’t our children go to school? Aren’t there other risks to our children we accept under normal conditions (flu seasons when the vaccine doesn’t work, lymes disease, mono, learning to drive, playing sports, etc.). I feel we should to do something to get the kids back to school, back to activities with other children under current conditions, and relying on remote learning is not the answer. Are private organizations the only venue in which parents can choose to do this?
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