The Public School System will reopen schools in September, with new protocols in place to comply with social distancing measures.<\/p>\n
How? Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred Ada said the details are still being worked out.<\/p>\n
He confirmed that the decision to reopen campuses in September is now concrete and it\u2019s just a matter of ironing out the details. \u201cWe\u2019re looking at a September opening but with a \u2018new normal\u2019 school schedule. The idea is there, but the details, we\u2019re still ironing it out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Although they would like to open schools later in the year, and despite wanting to wait for the COVID-19 threat to pass, Ada said that PSS risks losing federal grants if they do so. \u201cI want to open in December, but if we do, we may stand to lose some grants so we have to open. Even if we offer the four-hour teaching time, at least the students are receiving some form of education,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Although the schedule for school year 2020-2021 hasn\u2019t been finalized yet, PSS will implement morning and afternoon schedules. Additionally, PSS will only have 10 students per classroom as opposed to the initial 25 students. PSS is calling this \u201cthe new normal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the COVID-19 [restrictions] not being lifted, we still have to keep our social distance. Scheduling right now, we haven\u2019t finalized it yet but I\u2019m going to be meeting with the principals to discuss the necessary schedule to put in place for our elementary and middle schoolers. We have to make a whole new schedule, beginning from the start of the school day, breaks, lunch, how we\u2019re going to enforce social distancing, how many students in each classroom. We cannot have 25 anymore, we will have only 10. Every other room needs to be shut down. It\u2019s going to be a new normal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to Saipan Tribune archives, there were three plans that were on the table, one of which was reopening schools later than usual. Plan A was delaying the opening of the school year. Plan B, which was dependent on PSS receiving a budget of at least $19 million, would be four-day school weeks, half days, and five-hour pays for teachers, merging schools, and shifting as many courses online as possible. Plan C, which was dependent on PSS receiving a $36-million to $40-million budget, is opening schools on time and following last school year\u2019s schedule.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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