NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The city of New Haven says it's ready for kids to go back to school in the fall, but the faith community and others say it may be good to put re-opening on hold.
Dr. Boise Kimber said, “We are standing here today to say we are not prepared to reopen schools with our kids being in danger.”
Thursday New Haven clergy leaders gathered to urge the Elm city's public schools to do more to ensure safety.
“There isn’t a one size fits all approach to guiding schools on what to do this fall because every school District has different resources,” said Dr. Alvin Turner who is a specialist in health policy, racial and sexual minority health.
Dr. Turner says it will depend on the schools and the districts to provide the resources to meet health requirements when re-opening schools.
This past Tuesday, New Haven Public Schools presented three different plans all based on community spread of COVID-19.
Students and teachers will be required to wear masks, socially distance inside the school and on the bus by filing in from the back to the front among a long list of other health and safety standards.
Faith leaders say it’s still not enough due to each different school and district having different resources.
Leaders point out that students in Greenwich may have more resources for things like distance learning and PPE than students in New Haven.
Rev. Steven Cousin said, “There are real parents with children out there that’s are already struggling as it is and we stand to lose a whole generation of children due to this education system we already have in place.”
Similar thoughts were echoed by a few people FOX61 spoke to as well as one Board of Education member.
“We don’t want to have our teachers and our students used as test canaries. We out to make sure their safety is and I would challenge my fellow board members if they are not willing to go into schools and meet in person we shouldn’t be willing to send our teachers and our kids back to these schools,” said Darnell Goldson who is a member and current president at the New Haven Board of Education.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker says he understands the concerns and encourages people to trust in the city.
Mayor Elicker said, “So, first of all, I am not going to ask anyone to do anything that I am not willing to do myself and my wife and I feel comfortable sending our daughter to school because we know that the leadership of the schools work very hard to come up with a plan.”
Faith leaders say it’s up to the community as well as parents to speak out.
Pastor John Lewis said, “Our educational system is in trouble, our babies are in trouble so it’s time for us to do our moral duty and to stand for the right or our people.”
School is set to resume either at the end of august or the beginning of September.