Students across Massachusetts are headed back to school this week and local school leaders are preparing for their return and anticipating what the new school year will bring.
“They know that when they’re coming back to school, they’re coming back to friendships, new learning,” said Medford Superintendent Maurice Edouard-Vincent. “It’s critically important for us to let them know we are ready to warmly welcome you. We’re excited to have you. We want you to be here.”
While Medford students return to school on Tuesday, the first day of school in Framingham is Wednesday.
Framingham Superintendent Robert Tremblay said he spent the summer trying to find ways to help students feel connected to their schools as well as efforts to expand pre-kindergarten programs at no cost to families.
Framingham also continues to face a shortage of bus drivers, he said, a problem that has prevented some students from getting to school on time in the past.
“We’ve been turning over every stone that we can, providing bikes to students at no cost, giving families access to a third-party rideshare through their school,” he said.
Tremblay said the district currently has 53 out of 77 bus driver positions filled, or about five less than last year.
“If our students can’t get to school and parents can’t drive them, we struggle with chronic absenteeism,” Tremblay said. “Children need to be in school learning, not at home, waiting for transportation that will never come.”
Worcester Public Schools started on Monday with a full staff of bus drivers.
Worcester Superintendent Rachel Monárrez said that’s because the district stopped using a private vendor and began operating an in-house transportation operation.
Worcester also joined a number of high schools and districts across the state that are implementing new cellphone restrictions this fall.
“We believe that it’s part of our responsibility in educating the child, who is going to be an adult working in the workforce, when you can have cellphones out and when it’s not appropriate to have cell phones out,” Monárrez said. “We start that in the classroom setting.”
Under Worcester’s new policy, all cellphones must be turned off or silenced and out of sight during class. Students are only allowed to use their phones in a classroom with approval from an educator.
Monárrez said the new policy has been well-received, at least so far.
Chelsea Superintendent Almi Abeyta said students will return Wednesday. In preparation, she attended a students’ panel at a district-wide leadership retreat last week.
“The one thing they’re most concerned about right now is that their sleep habits are messed up and they have to adjust to getting up earlier,” Abeyta said.
The sentiment felt familiar, she said, reminding her of how she felt returning to school as a student each fall.
