As North Haven Public Schools (NHPS) prepares for the 2021-’22 school year, there are still many unknowns as the district is awaiting further guidance from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and the Connecticut Department of Health (DPH). At this time, NHPS is planning for a full in-person return.

“The district will not be offering an opt-out program this school year,” said Superintendent of Schools Patrick Stirk. “The goal is 100 percent in-person learning for the entire ‘21-’22 school year.”

That goal echoes that of the CSDE and DPH as stated in the departments’ Interim Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Connecticut’s Pre-K-12 Schools plan released on July 25. Updated guidance is expected to be released in coming weeks.

In North Haven, teachers will return to school on Monday, Aug. 30 and Tuesday, Aug. 31 for two professional development days before students return to school on Wednesday, Sept. 1 for full in-person learning. Schedules and team/classroom assignments will be sent to families in the coming weeks.

While there is no full remote option, NHPS is planning for remote learning options for students who need to quarantine. The quarantine procedure for the upcoming school year will be updated and communicated to families as soon as possible. All communications are sent via PowerSchool’s notification system (SwiftK12). Anyone not receiving updates should contact their student’s school.

Updated state guidance has not yet been released in regards to masking recommendations, but the July 25 guidance required mask use on school buses and the continuation of the executive order of use of masks in schools .

When it comes to social distancing and other COVID protocols, as well as plans for sports and extra-curricular activities, NHPS is currently “planning to the best of our ability as we await further guidance from the CSDE/ DPH,” according to Stirk. The July 25 guidelines recommend maintaining three feet of physical distancing in classrooms and planning for a full fall sports season.

The district received approximately $2 million in ESSER III/American Rescue Plan funding and a portion of the funds have been used to add classroom teachers to each elementary school in order to reduce class size. Support was added to special education programs and an additional counselor was hired at North Haven High School.

“As we prepare for the 2021-’22 school year, our goal is to provide a safe, in-person learning experience for all of our students,” said Stirk. “I recognize that there are still many questions around masking and other mitigation strategies surrounding the opening of the school year. We anticipate updated CSDE and DPH guidance in the next week and will communicate opening plans to the community as soon as possible.”