November 17, 2020 by Carol Britton Meyer
Hingham remains in the low-risk COVID-19 "green" zone, and the accompanying good news is that the virus hasn't spread within the Hingham Public Schools, according to Supt. of Schools Paul Austin at Monday night's School Committee meeting.
Cases involving HPS students and staff remain low, and the number of students and staff in quarantine continues to decrease. As a result, planning for Phase III of the HPS in-person reopening plan continues.
That said, COVID cases are spiking across the state. "Unlike many other districts across Massachusetts, our buildings have remained open -- allowing our students to access in-person instruction," School Committee Chair Kerry Ni told the Hingham Anchor following the meeting.
Last Friday, the Hingham Health Department rolled out a new COVID-19 dashboard that can be found on the COVID-19 Update Center link on the town website, https://www.hingham-ma.gov/. The dashboard consolidates state and HPS data into one visual that is updated every Friday.
As of the week ending Nov. 6, there were two positive COVID-19 positive cases at the High School, with two individuals in quarantine. Also in quarantine were four individuals at the Middle School, six in pre-K through Grade 5, and two HPS staff, for a total of two positive cases and 14 HPS community members in quarantine.
Austin continues to urge the community to remain vigilant, to wear face masks, and to socially distance in order to keep the community safe and HPS students in school.
Looking toward potential Phase III implementation, in order to accommodate the large number of students who take the bus to school with social distancing in place, the School Department obtained five more buses and is in the process of hiring and training more drivers.
"To help solve our space needs, we continue to negotiate a lease with St. Jerome School in Weymouth," Ni said. "The district is also planning for additional staffing needs -- custodial services, office support, building oversight, and school nurses -- in the event we secure the space at St. Jerome's."
The School Committee continues to partner -- and negotiate in good faith -- with the Hingham Education Association. "Any changes in the schedule or other working conditions is subject to collective bargaining," Ni said. Austin expressed appreciation for the HEA's efforts.
School officials remain committed to developing an equity and inclusion plan for the Hingham Public Schools, despite delays from having to shift their focus to COVID-19-related issues to help ensure the continuing health and safety of students and staff.
Asst. Supt. Jamie LaBillois presented an update on the work of the Equity & Inclusion Task Force. As part of that effort, he has been meeting with all of the PTOs and the Hingham Special Education Parent Advisory Council to gain their input.
The task force is collecting data and performing Strengths, Weaknesses, Obstacles, and Threats Analysis of the HPS. "The current focus is on gathering data from minority groups that traditionally are not empowered," Ni said.
The Committee approved the revised FY 2022 budget calendar and guiding principles. Community input during the upcoming budget process is welcome.
"Recently there has been a great deal of new parent engagement regarding the school budget, which is a good thing!" Ni said. "Parents and community members are welcome to share their thoughts and input with School Committee members at any time."
From the School Committee's perspective, the real work on the FY 2022 budget will begin in December or early January. "We welcome community engagement and encourage people to attend and participate," Ni said.
Director of Business and Support Services gave an overview of the FY 2021 operating budget, stressing that the situation is fluid due to COVID-19. At least one thing is definite, though.
"The School Department lost more than $1 million due to the loss of full-day kindergarten and Kids in Action revenues," Ni said. "This loss is not eligible for CARES Act reimbursement. However, we are working with the town to ensure that all eligible expenses are reimbursed."
In other news, with the help of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, the Hingham SC is reviewing its policy manual one section at a time to ensure that its policies meet legal requirements and conform with best practices.
In other business, the SC voted to accept recommended Superintendent Evaluation Rubric indicators for 2020-2021. The categories include instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community engagement, and professional culture.
The next remote School Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m.