ANSONIA, Conn. — While more school systems across the state are deciding to shut down in person learning, Waterbury Public Schools announced today their revised plan will include some schools heading home, while others will continue using a hybrid model.
Waterbury's public middle schools and all but one of the city's public high schools will go remote the Monday after Thanksgiving. But the public elementary schools will stick with their hybrid model in part because of in person attendance.
"We are doing this based on the current enrollment and the capacity for our elementary schools, which continuously host approximately 29% of their students," said Waterbury Superintendent of Schools Dr. Verna Ruffin.
The middle schools' in person attendance sits at 15%, while the high schools check in at 12.5%. Plus, it's more difficult to keep older kids in smaller groups, known as cohorts..
"But, on the elementary level it becomes easier process to keep the students in grade levels and its cohorts so we can easily monitor where they are and the contacts that they’ve had," said Ruffin.
Ansonia Public Schools will transition to exclusively remote learning beginning next week and remain with this model through at least Martin Luther King Day in January.
"You have to look at Ansonia being the 10th most densely populated city in all of Connecticut in 6.2 square miles," said Dr. Joseph DiBacco, Superintendent of Ansonia Public Schools. "So, when I tell you people are living on top of each other I mean living on top of each other."
As with many school systems, staffing in Ansonia is an issue.
My middle school Friday of last week had three teachers that had to be out and by Monday I had 12 staff members (out)," said DiBacco.
The leadership of Hamden Public Schools remains on the fence.
"The interns that we were using to help out in our buildings were from Quinnipiac and Quinnipiac has kind of quarantined their population so that’s kind of put a dent in our ability to cover classes," Melillo said.
Another factor in Hamden's decision is the "approaching perfect storm," as Melillo put it.
"We have college students returning home for Thanksgiving break," he said.
And, of course, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s Eve follows close behind.
"Those are all going to be family events as much as the advice is not to congregate during those times you know that families are going to try to," Melillo said.
The Hamden Board of Education is expected to announce its decision during its next meeting Tuesday.