Updated at 3:03 p.m.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced Friday that Boston Public Schools will reopen on an all-remote basis this September, with in-classroom learning beginning in different stages in what Walsh called a “phased-in plan.” He announced dates for the beginning of each stage, but added that these dates may change depending on public health data and where numbers stand for COVID-19 infection in Boston and around the region.
Addressing reporters along with BPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, Walsh said that under the phased-in plan announced Friday, all classes will begin on remotely, with in-classroom learning planned to start for high-need students Oct. 1, kindergarten students in mid-October, and first through third grade at the end of October. Grades 4-8 and 9-12 are slated to begin in-classroom learning in November.
Speaking alongside Walsh, BPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said the district’s plan aims to meet all students' needs while prioritizing those hurt most by a lack of in-classroom learning.
“Some of our students are more vulnerable than others, and some of our students need in-person learning more than others,” Cassellius said. “We are evaluating our plans through an equity lens and an anti-racism lens. ... We will continue working to build communities that are safe, welcoming and healthy.”
Walsh has been weighing whether to open schools with a “hybrid” learning model or whether to begin classes entirely remotely. The Boston Teachers Union, as well as several members of Boston City Council have called for all-remote learning and have been vocally critical of Walsh’s handling of the reopening of schools.
Meanwhile, parents have been divided on the issue, Walsh said, with many parents favoring all-remote learning and many saying they want their children back in classes.
Walsh also said that his administration will be making decisions about whether and when to move forward with in-classroom learning based largely on city-wide positive test rates for COVID-19 and is considering a 4 percent positive test rate to be the threshold at which the city would delay students’ return to classrooms.
Boston has been hovering around a 2 percent positive test rate for the past few weeks, but that rate has been significantly higher — and higher than 4 percent — in some neighborhoods, especially in neighborhoods with large minority populations.
Walsh said that while he will be focused primarily on citywide COVID-19 numbers, he has not ruled out adjusting the current plan around higher-than-average infection rates in certain neighborhoods.
Speaking on WGBH’s Boston Public Radio shortly after his public remarks, Walsh said he is considering taking special action when it comes to East Boston, where positive test rates were recently close to 8 percent.
“It is a citywide plan,” Walsh said, “But we’re looking at East Boston right now … We’re doing some interventions right now” to curb infections there, Walsh said, and he is meeting with community leaders to discuss reopening plans for East Boston schools.
Other hard-hit communities, including Mattapan and Roxbury, Walsh said, have recently seen positive test rates at or below 4 percent.
Walsh has wrestled with the decision about schools for weeks, saying he worries that the district’s most vulnerable students are already seeing disproportionately negative consequences from a lack of in-classroom instruction, as well as access to nutrition programs, after-school activities and social and emotional support.
Asked at the press conference what he would say to parents who worry their children will continue to suffer academic and emotional damage from all-remote learning, Walsh said, “I think where we are right now is causing emotional damage to a lot of us. It’s very difficult.”
Also speaking at the press conference, Boston Teachers Union President Jessica Tang praised Walsh's decision, saying that teachers are feeling “more heard.”
The BTU staged protests in recent weeks demanding an all-remote start to the school year, saying BPS was not sufficiently prepared to guarantee a safe return to classrooms for teachers or students.
Tang said teachers want to return to classrooms, and that the BTU will work with BPS on safety plans going forward.
"Educators and parents have been advocating for many of the details now outlined in this plan and through our advocacy we are pleased to see those ideas and needs reflected in this latest proposal," Tang said in a statement. "We thank the superintendent and the Mayor for the time they have invested in discussions and in hearing our solutions."
Walsh's announcement also drew fast response from several members of Boston’s City Council — including Ricardo Arroyo, Andrea Campbell, Julia Mejia and Michelle Wu — all of whom had been critical of a draft plan released by BPS two weeks ago that left open the possibility of students returning to classrooms at the start of the year via a hybrid model.
"I recognize that this was a difficult decision for all involved. I have believed, with the information available to me, that a remote start is what was required to keep our children safe," said Arroyo in a statement to WGBH News. "I am grateful that BPS agrees and though I continue to have concerns and questions about ensuring safety when in-person learning is phased in, I am hopeful that the time gained by a remote start allows for the district to ultimately address those concerns."
"I’m glad that BPS is making the decision that parents and teachers have been demanding for weeks to start the year remotely," said Campbell, also in a statement to WGBH News. "What is most critical now is ensuring remote learning is provided equitably to all students for as long as they’re out of the classroom."
Wu responded to the announcement on Twitter, writing that she was relieved about the decision, but "these weeks of delay meant families and teachers were forced to advocate throughout the summer instead of having time to plan. Today we’re scrambling to make arrangements with just a month to go before classes start — exactly what all were advocating to avoid." She also said she remains concerned about the hybrid model planned for once in-person learning commences.
Mejia echoed Wu's concern, specifically calling attention to East Boston's high positive test rate.
"I am still anxious about how remote learning will work as well as these hybrid models," her statement read. "I hope BPS will work to accommodate families across all circumstances whether it’s providing internet access or creating safe learning pod systems."
