In his message welcoming students and families to the new school year, Branford Superintendent of Schools Hamlet Hernandez outlined reasons to look forward to the 2021-22 school year, including some "major milestones" reached despite the evolving challenges of the pandemic. The first day of the new school year for Branford Public School (BPS) students is Wednesday, Sept. 8.

"Like last year, we find ourselves still in middle of pandemic; however, things have improved significantly since last year," said Hernadez in his remarks. "We return this year not in a hybrid model, but full in-person. We return this year with staff being mandated to be vaccinated, when last year we did not have a vaccination for COVID 19. Just those two simple things show the progress that we have made, and I am confident we will continue to make progress towards normalcy in the months ahead."

The comments were part of a welcome back video message published August 25 at the BPS website .

Hernandez also spoke of the district's intent to continue to be guided by the Department of Public Health to collaborate and to coordinate district decision-making with regard to COVID-19. He said BPS has "every intention" of keeping schools open full-in person for the entire year.

"We will continue to have an isolation room in our schools and we will continue to do contact tracing. And, when necessary, students will be placed in quarantine; and if deemed necessary, a class will be put into quarantine," Hernandez explained. "Having said that, it is our intention to try to avoid those situations. How can we do that? First and foremost, we all must wear a mask in school. It is a mandate issued by the governor and reinforced by our local Board of Education. Masks must be worn by all employees and all students in our school district."

As previously reported, on Aug. 18, Branford's Board of Education voted to temporarily extend the use of face coverings in school and to temporarily extend current district policies on health and safety protocols related to COVID through Dec. 31, 2021. The vote extends an earlier district mask guideline following Governor Ned Lamont's Executive Order 12a requiring face masks must be worn by anyone inside a school building, regardless of vaccination status, until September 30, 2021 (see related story).

In his welcome back message, Hernandez also encouraged all those who are eligible to "do your part by getting vaccinated."

"If you are eligible for a vaccination, please do so. This is a great step towards keeping all of us safe, as well as keeping our schools open for the entire year," he said.

As of Aug. 25, many district families had already received notifications from their building principals either about class assignment; team assignment or schedules. Hernandez said communication will continue to come from building principals regarding school-specific activities and expectations.

Hernandez also encouraged parents preparing for the school year who may have questions to contact building principals with those questions. Additionally, answers to many COVID-related questions can also be found at the BPS website's COVID 19 resources, by clicking on "Safe Return to In Person Instruction" most recently updated August 23.

In sharing some "...major milestones we have reached as a school district, despite the pandemic," Hernandez said the district was very pleased to report it had obtained a Certificate of Occupancy for the school construction project at Walsh Intermediate School (WIS), so that both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the building will be open for students (grades 5 - 8) when school begins. 

As previously reported, last year, students used the new academic wing (Phase 1, first opened in January 2020); while construction work continued to renovate and expand the remaining building during Phase 2, which was scheduled for completion by the start of the 2021-22 school year. The $88.2 million WIS facility expansion project is receiving a 35 percent state funding reimbursement.

Hernandez also noted the district will start the school year with the return of PreK; after the program was put on hold during the 2020-21 school year due to the pandemic. Additionally, this school year, Branford's high school students will be "...exposed to a new schedule that is supportive of their social and emotional learning as well as enhancing their connectedness to the high school," said Hernandez.

"We should all take great pride in the work that we have done to get to this point," Hernandez concluded. "And we look forward to an exciting 2021-22 school year, and we look forward to our partnership. Thank you and have a great year."