What will our schools look like come September?

From MassLive

When Mass. schools reopen in the fall, masks, smaller class sizes and cleaning protocols will be the norm; Department of Education issues guidance on supplies

Posted Jun 08, 2020

By Scott J. Croteau | scroteau@masslive.com

Masks, smaller class sizes and cleaning protocols are all listed in guidance issued by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as officials address key safety supplies needed for schools to reopen in the fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley wrote in a document sent to superintendents Friday that as key health metrics continue to improve in the state and Gov. Charlie Baker’s four-phase reopening plan is underway, schools need to be prepared to have key safety supplies ready while planning to reopen this fall.

“We are issuing this guidance on key safety supplies now so that districts can being the ordering process for critical items that may be harder to procure and/or have longer potential delivery times,” Riley wrote. “In this document, we provide specific information that will allow districts and schools to make these key safety purchases as soon as possible.”

Outlined in the memo is the required supply items and initially recommended ordering quantities for the first 12 weeks of school based on the department’s best estimates.

The memo included support the state department of education and partner state agencies can provide to help school districts acquire supplies.

Riley wrote that the guidelines were created to help keep students and staff safe and limited the risk of spreading COVID-19.

The memo notes it is “each school district’s responsibility to acquire the supplies needed to safely and responsibly reopen their school buildings consistent with forthcoming state guidance.”