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Blackstone‑Millville approves phased plan to end hybrid model, schedules phased student returns
Summary
After reviewing survey results and safety measures, the Blackstone‑Millville School Committee voted to eliminate hybrid instruction for grades 4–12 and approved staged return dates: grades 4–5 on March 29; grades 6–8 on April 5; grades 9 and 12 on April 12; grades 10–11 on April 26. Full remote remains available through the school year.
The Blackstone‑Millville Regional School District School Committee voted March 11 to eliminate the hybrid learning option for grades 4–12 and return students in phases to full five‑day in‑person instruction, while preserving a full remote option for families who choose it.
Superintendent Jason Defalco presented survey data the administration had collected from families in the hybrid cohort: of the 744 family respondents, about 62% said they would opt for full five‑day in‑person learning if hybrid were removed; roughly 17% said they would remain full remote. Defalco framed the proposal around two guiding priorities: address student physical/social‑emotional needs and bring students back safely to accelerate pandemic recovery.
The committee adopted the administration's recommended schedule by voice vote: grades 4–5 return Monday, March 29; grades 6–8 return Monday, April 5; grades 9 and 12 return Monday, April 12; and grades 10 and 11 return Monday, April 26. The administration emphasized the dates were staged to manage master schedules, transportation and staffing, especially at the high school where mixed‑grade courses and unique electives complicate scheduling.
Administrators described safety measures to support the return: face shields for staff, increased custodial staffing, additional air filtration in interior classrooms, plexiglass for conferencing, and a distancing target of four to six feet where feasible. Bus guidance will keep windows partly open for ventilation; principals will reissue school‑specific surveys to families to collect final choices by Friday, March 19, to allow the district time to rework class assignments and transportation.
The committee also discussed and confirmed that students who opt for in‑person instruction but miss days for personal reasons will be treated as absent, and full remote students will continue with their remote teachers through the end of the school year. The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition recorded.
What happens next: principals will send student‑level surveys to hybrid families, administrators will rework master schedules and transportation, and the district will host a Facebook Live Q&A for families the following Tuesday.
