March 15, 2020 by Carol Britton Meyer
The Hingham School Committee met this morning and voted unanimously to pay all hourly/non-salaried employees for the duration of the current unprecedented shutdown of the Hingham Public Schools due to the coronavirus threat. All salaried employees will also be paid.
"We recognize that all of us, and employees such as custodians, food service workers, para-professionals, school-based tutors, maintenance staff, etc., count upon a regular paycheck to live and pay the bills," Supt. of Schools Paul Austin told the Hingham Anchor following the meeting. "I know that people in the community are feeling the same pressure. Companies are working remotely to the best of their abilities, and we are all learning to work in different ways."
Austin also said that he wants to be clear that although the Hingham Public Schools are closed, "we are committed to ensuring that our students continue to be engaged in the learning process, and that school staff will stay connected with students and families.
"I am working with the presidents of our [school] associations to craft a plan of how staff will communicate, facilitate learning, and stay connected with students/parents," he said. "I know the community has many questions, and we are all working hard to get them answers."
Essential employees such as facilities/maintenance staff will continue working during this time "They have done an amazing job in keeping our buildings safe and healthy for all staff and students. To the extent possible, anyone in HPS who can work remotely, will be expected to do so," said Austin. "All administrators have, and will continue to work throughout this shutdown, albeit remotely. Words cannot express how proud I am to work beside each of these individuals who have stepped up to meet the needs of our students and staff."
Austin expressed appreciation for the Hingham community "for their support and understanding during this shutdown. The decision to close our schools was not easy, and I understand that this step has put an incredible strain on everyone. I have worked very closely with the Hingham Board of Health and I have received daily updates from the Massachusetts Department of Health."
Austin is also in continuous communication with other superintendents across the region. "At the end of the day, we are all putting the health and safety of our students at the forefront of all decisions. Every superintendent in our region made the collaborative decision to close for two weeks after much consideration," he said.
"We are all in this together. When it is over, there will be time for reflection about the good and bad of the situation. In the meantime, we must stay positive and focused on taking care of each other," Austin said. "I believe that we will not only weather this storm, but we will learn from it, and become stronger because of it."