After numerous summertime meetings and extensive debate, all four school committees – Halifax, Kingston, Plympton, and Silver Lake Regional – have all made decisions regarding their reopening plans for the fall. All but Plympton have chosen the same hybrid approach and model. Plympton plans to begin with what they are referring to as “a phased-in hybrid approach” where most students will begin remotely at least for the first several weeks.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) required school districts to submit a preliminary plan for full remote, full in-person learning with 3 ft or 6 ft of physical distancing, and a hybrid of the two on July 31. Schools have been told that they need to be able to easily move from one mode to another should circumstances necessitate a change.

DESE has released an abundance of oft-changing guidance regarding reopening. It should be noted that school districts can elect to enact policies with stricter safety requirements than what is found in DESE’s guidance but cannot mandate anything less stringent.

Included amongst the state’s guidance is a mandatory minimum of 3 feet of physical distancing between occupants wearing masks with 6 feet being preferred. There is no maximum number of students per class as it will depend on the size of the rooms. The school can fit as many students as space will allow while still meeting the selected distancing requirement. While DESE has allowed for 3 ft (from seat edge to seat edge) when wearing masks and facing the same direction, many districts have elected to insist upon a minimum of 6 ft while still others have gone with something in between such as 4 ½ feet. Students and staff are required to maintain 6 ft of distance whenever masks cannot be worn such as lunch periods or breaks. DESE’s guidelines state a “preference” for students not wearing masks to not face one another.

Per the state’s guidelines, masks or face coverings are required for Grades 2 and up and strongly encouraged for those in preschool, kindergarten, and Grade 1. Masks must be worn on school buses regardless of age. Some districts, such as Whitman-Hanson, are requiring masks be worn even at the preschool, kindergarten, and Grade 1 levels. Exceptions must be made for those who are unable to wear a mask due to health or safety factors.

Under DESE’s guidance, schools are required to provide a remote option for students who cannot or choose not to attend school in-person. A frequent refrain heard during many meetings this summer has been that the remote education that will be offered this coming school year will not be the same remote education that was offered in spring. Amongst other changes, the state has required that attendance and participation is tracked and that a policy for issuing grades is employed.

All four school committees in Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton assessed that a full, in-person return to school is not feasible due to operational, fiscal, and safety constraints. The schools don’t have the space or staff necessary to bring all students back in person while also adhering to the physical distancing requirements. Additionally, there isn’t enough money in the budgets to be able to hire more staff to accommodate the smaller class sizes even if the space was available.

Another factor preventing a full, in-person return to school is transportation. With current physical distancing requirements, buses are limited to one-third of their usual capacity. Silver Lake investigated the cost of adding either additional bus runs or additional buses and found them to be prohibitive. Additionally, bus runs are an average of an hour long so additional bus runs could potentially mean needing to negotiate an extended school day. Even with the hybrid approach, the school will need as many caregivers as are able to transport their students to and from school. Windows and roof hatches will be kept open to the extent possible to increase ventilation. Only students from the same households will be allowed to sit together on a bench.

The hybrid approach that will be employed at Halifax Elementary, Kingston Elementary, Silver Lake Regional Middle School, and Silver Lake Regional High School will be a combination of in-person learning at 6 ft two days a week and remote learning 3 days a week for most students. There will be four cohorts of students. Cohorts A and B will attend school on opposite schedules. Cohort A will attend school in-person on Monday and Tuesday and be remote on Wednesday through Friday. Cohort B will be remote Monday through Wednesday and attend school in person on Thursday and Friday. Cohort C will be those students electing for 100 percent remote education. Cohort D will include high needs learners that will attend school in person four days a week. Not all students on an IEP will qualify for Cohort D. Qualifying for Cohort D does not mean you will have to attend school in-person all four days (or even at all) but rather that the choice to do so is there. Wednesday will be a remote learning day for all learners.

Under the hybrid plan, core subject areas will be prioritized for in-person learning as will some AP and CTE programs. Wellness, art, music, and other electives will likely be offered remotely.

In several of the school committee meetings, members have inquired as to whether Cohorts A and B will have contact with Cohort D during their in-person days and were told that they would. This was of concern to some as it reduces the benefits of the hybrid model to just the literal physical distancing that can be achieved through smaller class sizes while failing to eliminate possible cross contamination amongst cohorts.

All public schools in Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton are implementing facilities changes to improve safety. Efforts are being taken to minimize the use of recirculated air. No classrooms will be used that do not have working windows and adequate HVAC. Heightened cleaning and disinfecting, particularly of high touch areas, will be implemented. All schools will now be equipped with hospital-grade electrostatic sprayers as well.

Despite the best laid plans, everything is always subject to change as circumstances surrounding the pandemic change. The state also holds the authority to mandate full remote learning at any time.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Thursday, August 6 for their bi-weekly meeting with the town’s emergency management officials regarding COVID or other emergency concerns. Halifax Board of Health agent Bob Valery told the Board that there were no suspected or confirmed cases of COVID in town. Valery also told the Board that the message board at the fire station will refer residents to Mass.gov for updates on Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).

According to Valery the CDC is warning about acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare but serious neurologic disease with polio-like symptoms occurring most frequently in young children. While AFM cannot be spread person to person the viruses associated with it may be spread by mosquitos or other vectors and is most active during the months of August to November. Selectman Gordon Andrews asked if there was an outbreak in New England was told there was not.

Andrews gave an update on the school’s reopening plan. He explained that per the last survey, 48 percent of parents favored full, in-person learning at three feet. The plan sent to the state was the hybrid model which would see the majority of students attending school in person two days a week and remote three days a week.

Another cohort of high-needs students would attend school in person four days a week. Families can also opt into a full remote option. Selectmen Troy Garron pointed out the difficulties of keeping elementary school aged children facing forward and adhering to social distancing. He said he thought a monitor would be needed in the classrooms in addition to the teacher. Selectman Tom Millias said of the 3 ft distancing if facing forward, “I don’t see that as being enforceable… they’ll be a thousand infractions the first day.”

Andrews told Police Chief Joao Chaves that he believes a detail officer will be necessary during pickup and drop off times at the school. He further explained that given the distancing requirements on the bus, it would cost an extra $400,000 just for Silver Lake to be able to cover the additional buses and/or runs for half the year. With buses at one-third capacity, Andrews also brought up the question of how students would be transported to and from opposing teams’ venues if sports were allowed. Andrews said that as of right now, students are not allowed to drive themselves. “I pretty much think sports are done, for at least the fall and probably all of next year,” Andrews said.

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said that he was speaking with Maintenance Director Scott Materna about fogging the town hall more frequently as the number of in-person meetings were increasing. Seelig said that fogging the building would likely need to occur on Tuesdays or Wednesdays given the building schedules.

Garron asked why the building couldn’t be fogged on Fridays when empty. Seelig explained that the fogging was used to kill the virus and if the building sits empty for several days as it would over the weekend, the virus would likely be gone by the time it was being occupied again.

Seelig and the Board discussed the possibility of rearranging meeting schedules to end them earlier to allow for the fogging to occur.

Seelig told the Board that they needed to start to move forward with the process of allocating the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds that are available to the town through Plymouth County. According to Seelig, Halifax has made three submissions to Plymouth County thus far totaling $40,000. The amount spent to date is just a fraction of the $884,000 available to Halifax. Expenditures to be reimbursed through the CARES funds must be spent by December 31. Seelig said that of the requests he had received from departments thus far, he didn’t see any of the items being big ticket items. He said that the requests were too vague and that he would need to go back to departments to specify what exactly was needed. Instead of a request such as signage, Seelig said he would need to know exactly the type and quantity needed. Seelig said that money would likely be available for use by the school system. Andrews asked the Board if they would be in favor of potentially using some of the funds for either additional school staff or additional buses. The Board agreed.

Seelig said that another source of funding is the Massachusetts IT Infrastructure Bond Bill. The bill has already been through the legislature and is currently with the governor awaiting his signature. The $185,000 available to Halifax can be used for specific systems. If the costs don’t exceed the available limit, those will be expenditures that don’t have to use any CARES Act funding. Seelig also told the Board that Council on Aging (COA) Director Susan Lawless told him that the Old Colony Elder Services will be giving out grants in the amount of $3,000 to each COA to be used toward activities.

On Monday, August 3, Plympton School Committee chair Jon Wilhelmsen hosted an informal, virtual question and answer session regarding the reopening of school at Dennett Elementary. This was not a school committee meeting. Wilhelmsen told the fifty plus parents and teachers assembled that comments made were his own and not those of the school committee unless otherwise specified. Dennett principal Peter Veneto was also in attendance.

Wilhelmsen began by giving a quick overview of the preliminary plan submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) last Friday, July 31. Per DESE’s request, the plan consisted of a model for remote learning, a model for full in-person learning, and a model that was a hybrid of the two. The final, comprehensive plan will need to be sent to DESE by August 10. The separate school committees will need to vote to approve the plan prior to that date. Each committee will vote independent from one another, meaning Halifax Elementary, Kingston Elementary, Plympton Elementary, and Silver Lake Regional could all choose different models.

Wilhelmsen emphasized that the remote learning plan will be the cornerstone of whatever model is selected and noted that it will not look like what he referred to as the “crisis education” that occurred during the spring. He also said that all three plans must follow a consistent schedule as it is vital that they retain the ability to move from one mode to another as seamlessly as possible. The school committee had decided against any in-person plan that would involve 3 feet of social distancing instead insisting upon 6 feet until Massachusetts enters Phase 4. “I don’t think three feet is safe; I don’t think that we want to take that risk,” Wilhelmsen explained. Buses will only be at 32 percent capacity and additional bus runs will be prohibitively expensive. If in-person learning resumes, new protocols for pick-up and drop-off will have to be established.

Parents and teachers were then allowed to ask questions. Someone asked why the committee would elect to delay implementing a hybrid plan in favor of beginning school remotely. Wilhelmsen said that the school committee is fully in support of getting students back in person but noted, “we want to do this thoughtfully, we want to do this carefully, and we want to do this right.” Even if school begins remotely, it does not necessarily mean that all children will be at home. There may be a possibility to bring children with high needs into school or perhaps the kindergarteners who could benefit from in-person initiation into school. Of the kindergarten class, Veneto said that one benefit for them would be that they don’t know anything else so the changes may not seem as unfamiliar to them.

There were a number of questions regarding remote learning including if there will be a specific learning management system (LMS) used. Wilhelmsen said they will be using Schoology which he noted was superior to Google Meet which was used in the spring. He said they were still figuring out how to get everyone trained on the new LMS. Wilhelmsen said that while they do anticipate some supply chain issues, they have already been purchasing additional chromebooks for student and staff use. Wilhelmsen and Veneto said they have done their best to stay ahead of technology needs in order to ensure that teachers have the tools they need. Another parent asked what happens if they have a hard time getting their children to cooperate remotely. Wilhelmsen said that there will need to be a lot more communication between parents, teachers, and students in order to help with that. He also assured parents that there will be more engaging content than in the spring.

Another parent asked, “If we go to a fully remote model, will all learning be synchronous or will there by asynchronous instruction for working parents?” Wilhelmsen and Veneto confirmed that any learning plan that involves remote education will involve both synchronous and asynchronous learning. Also asked, “If a family decides to go full remote, will they still be part of the Dennett community or doing some off the shelf program state-wide?” They were assured that they will still be part of the Dennett community.

Several other questions were asked regarding the hybrid model. Any hybrid model selected will involve multiple cohorts of students. Cohorts A and B would attend school on alternating schedules with Wednesday remaining a fully remote day for all students. Cohort C would be those electing to be fully remote and Cohort D would be students designated high needs who would be eligible to attend school 4 days a week. Wilhelmsen said, “To the best of our ability, our goal is to keep children in the same family in the same cohorts.” One parent asked, “Wondering if you have a child on a 504/IEP that goes 4 days as cohort D, do siblings stay with them in the same cohort even if not 504/IEP?” Wilhelmsen admitted to not having thought of this scenario and said it would be explored.

Asked about how pull out services will be handled, Veneto responded, “we will be handling this and we will be doing it in a safe manner.” Yet another question, “If the students on IEPs are grouped together how will you ensure a Least Restrictive Environment for them?” Wilhelmsen and Veneto said they don’t yet have a plan for that but said it is being worked out. Another parent inquired, “If we have specific concerns about our own children with disabilities are we able to contact Mr. Veneto?” Veneto was quick to reply, “absolutely.” Wilhelmsen also offered that people were welcome to email him as well regarding any specific concerns (jwilhelmsen@slrsd.org).

Some questions centered around protocols in the event that there is a positive case or exposure within the school. One of those on the call asked, “What is the policy for contact tracing if someone is diagnosed with COVID?” Wilhelmsen affirmed the need to have such a plan saying, “When we’ve written it, we will let you know. We will have one.” Piggybacking on the aforementioned question another person asked if the entire classroom will be quarantined for 14 days should there be a positive case in that class. They also asked if that person had siblings would they quarantine the sibling’s classroom as well. It was confirmed that such decisions would be part of the yet to be fully developed plan.

There were a few other questions including whether or not the option to have outdoor classrooms was being explored. Wilhelmsen and Veneto said that they were looking at the possibility but noted that Plympton had just been moved to a high EEE threat, complicating the efforts to get kids outside more. Those on the call also asked about kindergarten orientation and were told that while there would be some version of one, it would be different than in the past.

Other comments from the public were offers to help. Parent Darcy Kennedy said she runs three childcare centers and offered to provide insight on the removal of items and the relative success of such protocols. Michelle Ruxton said she reviews reopening plans all day long and offered, “what’s one more?” Veneto and Wilhelmsen said they were not shy to accept such help. Still someone else pointed out that Plympton is a small town and asked what parents can do to help get the kids back in school. They asked if volunteering in some capacity such as a bus monitor would be helpful. Wilhelmsen who called the suggestion “awesome” said that the school committee would explore it but did note that they wanted to be careful not to introduce more people into the school setting. Someone said their workplace was utilizing Litum contact tracing badges and asked if it was something the schools could potentially explore. Wilhelmsen said he thought it was unlikely due to the costs associated with it.

Wilhelmsen thanked those on the call for attending and said, “I’m really thrilled to have been able to do this because I don’t necessarily hear from you all the time… thank you for being understanding, I know this isn’t easy.” He also offered to hold another similar session in the future.

Wilhelmsen also told those assembled that since open meeting laws are quite strict regarding social media, if more than one member of the school committee comments on the same post, they are in violation of that law.

He said for that reason, the committee plans to designate a single member to answering questions as they appear on pages such as the Facebook group Friends of the Dennett.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen held their weekly meeting with public safety officials on Wednesday, July 22 to discuss COVID-19 related issues. Much of the meeting was spent discussing the difficulties surrounding reopening of the schools in the fall.

Selectman Gordon Andrews is part of one of the working groups that has been established to brainstorm ideas for reopening the schools. The working groups include teachers, nurses, counselors, etc. Andrews told those assembled that he would like their opinions so that he might take them back to the group.

Andrews said that guidelines regarding distancing on buses allow for only 25 passengers on a 77-person bus or 15 passengers on a 47-person bus. The only exception would be for siblings who could share a seat.

While official feedback from the surveys hadn’t been made available as of the meeting, Andrews said that initial feedback he was hearing was that roughly fifty percent of parents anticipated dropping their children off rather than electing to take the bus.

With only one-third of students potentially being able to be bused to school, there will have to be a significant increase in students that are being dropped off and picked up which could create a bottleneck. Possible suggestions offered at Wednesday’s meeting included changing the location of where the buses drop off and expanding the library parking lot for staff parking to open other areas for parent drop-off.

Board of Health agent Robert Valery met with head custodian Matt Durkee at the Halifax Elementary School to talk about a plan for lunch. “I think it was a good meeting that brought out a lot of good ideas,” Fire Chief Jason Viveiros told the selectmen.

One possibility is to use both the cafeteria and the all-purpose room for lunch. Students would have assigned seats and lunch would likely be brought directly to them. Another possible suggestion was to have someone who sprays sanitizer onto the kids’ hands as they enter the rooms for eating. The plan would be for the first shift of students to eat in one room and the next shift, the other. This would allow for rooms to be disinfected in between shifts.

In addition to transportation and cafeteria plans, those assembled also discussed pros and cons of both COVID testing prior to the start of school and regular temperature checks once school is in session. Viveiros mentioned the invasive nature of the COVID tests, particularly for young children.

Several of those present felt that temperature checks made sense though when to do them and how to ensure privacy were of concern. One suggestion was to check temperatures on the bus though the majority of students would not be able to ride the bus with capacity limited to one-third. Someone suggested doing temperature checks at drop-off while the parents are still present but that would likely complicate an already prolonged process.

Other questions involved how best to handle a situation where a student did produce a high reading. How would that student be removed without an invasion of privacy? Would students that had been in close contact with them also need to be sent home? “There are no good answers to any of this,” Selectman Tom Millias bemoaned.

Perhaps the most difficult question of all was whether schools should even reopen for in person learning. Andrews said that he felt that regardless of whatever decision is made, fifty percent of parents were likely to be unhappy. He said he felt that most people fell into one of two camps – those wishing to return to some sense of normalcy and those concerned with a potential outbreak in the schools.

He admitted to being confused himself saying, “There’s the part of me that says we should go back – we need to deal with it. There’s another part of me that says the logistics are so hard to understand does it make more sense to just plan for remote at this time?”

Valery said he felt that school should begin remotely as it will be difficult, if not impossible, to decipher COVID symptoms in students or teachers from more run of the mill viruses and infections that typically circulate once students are back in school. Both Viveiros and Andrews asked what the protocol would be if a teacher or student tested positive for the virus.

Valery pointed out that decisions would have to wait until test results were received. He also said that steps might depend on the kind and length of contact others had with the infected individual. If that student used the bathroom at some point, the potential for contamination would extend beyond the classroom or bus. “If you have a confirmed case in the school, you should probably be looking at closing down the school for 14 days,” Andrews said.

Andrews told the group that a preschool teacher in his working group pointed out the potential difficulty of trying to teach speech to young children who are not able to see their teachers’ mouths. A stumbling block for remote learning that was also mentioned was that at the time of the first shutdown, both teachers and and students were already familiar with one another. If school were to start remotely, students and teachers will be working with one another without that pre-established connection.

Of reopening, Viveiros said, “I don’t see how all of this could possibly get done.” He went on to say that some states have postponed the opening of schools until October to allow more time to prepare. Millias probably summed it up best saying, “this is just a pure horror show.”

In non-school related news, Valery told the Board that he had been notified that morning of one contact case of COVID in town though it was not confirmed. Valery also updated the Board on some local restaurants plans. Grille 58 planned to open on July 28 with tents setup in a small area outside for outdoor dining. Rodney’s Kitchen also planned to open for outdoor dining.

Chair of the Plympton School Committee Jon Wilhelmsen updated selectmen at their Monday, July 20 meeting on the plan for restarting school in the fall. Wilhelmsen said that the school is required to submit a preliminary plan to the state by July 31 that accounts for all three possible scenarios – in-person, remote, and a hybrid approach. Wilhelmsen told selectmen, “It’s a little bit of a fool’s errand for the first of those.”

Wilhelmsen said even if there is a full return, it would “not be a return to normal; it would be a return to different.” The administration is focusing a lot of their efforts on the remote learning aspect as Wilhelmsen said that it will likely be the backbone of whatever plan is put into place.

Working groups have been established to devise the plan.  According to Wilhelmsen the top two priorities are providing an education that ensures academic growth and balancing safety and risk to keep everyone as safe as possible. Wilhelmsen said that there will likely be an element of choice involved as some families may need to opt for remote schooling due to high-risk family members or other extenuating circumstances. He also said that there likely isn’t the physical space required to have all students back in school while upholding social distancing requirements. Possible advantages for Dennett include the HVAC system that circulates air to individual rooms as opposed to throughout the whole building as well as the smaller student population compared to neighboring towns.

Selectman Christine Joy asked if the school has the technology in place to meet the needs of students and teachers. Wilhelmsen said that CARES Act funds were used to purchase additional chromebooks but said that the administration needs to evaluate the technology available in terms of which platform would best support remote learning.

The Plympton School Committee will be holding meetings throughout the summer to allow the administration to provide updates to the committee. The public is encouraged to attend as the meetings are held virtually. There likely won’t be a clear picture of what the return to school will look like until well into August. Later in the meeting Joy would say that her rave for the week is for “The parents, teachers, school committees, administration, and everybody who’s trying to navigate in these incredibly difficult times… these people are working so hard to come up with a workable solution.”

$18,000 FEMA grant for hazard mitigation

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said that Plympton was the recipient of an $18,000 FEMA grant that would enable them to update the town’s hazard mitigation plan. Currently the town doesn’t have its own stand-alone plan but rather a sub section in the regional plan which was created in 2015. The grant would allow for a consultant to walk the town through the project and create the plan. Dennehy said that she had one response to her RFQ from Woods Hole Group for $17,730 to complete the project in its entirety. On Dennehy’s recommendation, the Board awarded the project to them.

Dennehy told the Board that all three lots on Prospect Rd. have now been successfully sold and that as of that morning, the town treasurer was in receipt of those payments. The funds from the sale of the three lots will be put toward the repayment of the bond that was taken out in 2018 to secure the purchase of Two Brooks Preserve. Selectmen Chair Mark Russo said, “Thank God, it’s done… with this we get to now look forward to hopefully retiring the bond that’s due in October.” Russo said that even with the sales and some additional fundraising they will likely still be around $25,000 short. The hope is that the Board and the Finance Committee will allow an amount under $25,000 to be borrowed from the Capital Stabilization Fund. An amount in excess of $25,000 would require a vote at town meeting.

Dennehy also told the Board that the eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) threat for Plympton has been raised to moderate due to a positive mosquito sample having been found in nearby Carver. “Mosquitos don’t know town boundary lines,” Dennehy joked. She continued, “It is something that everybody needs to remain vigilant about.”

Dennehy said that the townhouse was fogged on July 11. She explained that the plan was to fog the building periodically since it is a reimbursable expense. Dennehy said the decision was made to fog the building as it had not been done since April and the building had been open to the public for six weeks. In another update, Dennehy told the Board that after conferring with town counsel, it was established that town employees that fall under wage and personnel are to be reappointed each year with a select few exceptions including the assistant town clerk who is appointed directly by the town clerk.

Russo provided Dennehy and his fellow selectmen with some highlights from the presentation by the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Senator Michael Rodrigues. Russo credited Senator Michael Brady for putting it together. Rodrigues reminded the audience that a consensus revenue forecast is released each year in December or January which is used to inform the state budget. Back in December, the projected revenue was estimated at $31 billion. After reconvening to re-assess due to the pandemic, it is now believed that the state revenue will be $26 billion leaving a $6 billion shortfall. While it may be possible to pull $2 billion of that shortfall from the rainy-day fund, the remaining amount will need to come from cuts, taxes, or borrowing. Rodrigues made note of the types of cuts that were seen during 2009-2010 when the state faced a similar kind of decline. Cuts were seen to education, transportation, energy, the environment, and healthcare for state employees. Wilhelmsen pointed out that the budgets that the school committees voted on couldn’t really take into account any cuts to education. While the Dennett does not rely heavily on state aid, a large portion of the Silver Lake Regional budget is reliant on it. This could mean cuts to programming, etc., at the middle and high school levels.

Rodrigues also said that the main economic evaluators were unemployment which was around 2.9 percent in December/January and 16.9 percent by May.  During the first quarter of 2020, the GDP decreased by 4.8 percent and it is anticipated that by the end of the second quarter that decrease would be over 8 percent. Rodrigues also spoke on the challenges associated with creating a state budget while not knowing the funds that will be available from the federal government.

The Board of Selectmen also voted to appoint Zachary Bowden as a full-time officer in the Police Department to replace another officer who sent in their resignation. They also briefly discussed the possibility of retirement regulations eventually necessitating the search for a new police chief. Dennehy said that Police Chief Matthew Clancy asked that the discussion be tabled until the Board’s August 10 meeting.

North Plympton Cemetery

Selectman John Traynor requested the Board’s permission to work with the owner of the North Plympton Cemetery so that it might be improved. Traynor said that the owner is a woman located in Washington state who is part of a family that has owned the cemetery since the 19^th century. Traynor said, “I would like us to be able to take care of it because it is in terrible shape right now.”

The Plympton School Committee held their close-out meeting on Monday, July 13 though they agreed that given the current climate meetings would need to be held prior to September.

They began with a reorganization which saw both Jon Wilhelmsen and Jason Fraser retain their titles of chair and vice chair respectively. Wilhelmsen will be serving as chair for the sixth year in a row. Mike Antoine was nominated to serve as secretary. Newest member Dan Cadogen was unable to attend his first meeting as part of the committee.

A report of standing committees followed the reorganization. Fraser said that heand Dennett Principal Peter Veneto now have the information necessary to put together an RFQ for installation of the playground. The Negotiations Committee signed a one-year contract with aides though the negotiations with teachers were still ongoing. Union 31 met to discuss COVID and make sure that their orders for PPE and additional chromebooks were made prior to the deadline for the first round of The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Superintendent Jill Proulx wanted to thank the town of Plympton for helping to make those purchases possible.

Fraser began his legislative update by apologizing for what would be a longer than usual report. He called the threats coming out of Washington D.C., specifically from President Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, to cut funding for schools that don’t fully open in the fall “largely rhetoric.” He mentioned that Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has taken the secretary to task over her lack of a plan to reopen schools. Pressley made news this week for tweeting at DeVos, “you have no plan. Teachers, kids and parents are fearing for their lives… I wouldn’t trust you to care for a house plant let alone my child.”

Fraser also pointed out that the mass state tax deadline was that week and said that the state is hoping to have a budget done by September 1. Fraser said there is talk, however, that there won’t be a budget until after the November elections.

The joint conference between the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS) and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) in Hyannis has been cancelled due to safety concerns. Fraser asked the committee if they would be in favor of supporting current MASC President Deborah Davis for a second term. “She has done great work there and she has my full endorsement,” Fraser said. The committee voted to lend her their support.

Veneto also provided a principal’s report to the committee saying, “It’s been an interesting couple of months.”  He continued, “We’re trying to attack this whole thing as if we’re all going to be back, but I’m realistic enough to know that that might not be the case.” Veneto said that the three communities worked on a district wide entry plan for kindergarteners. Both Kingston and Halifax are adapting to the model that Plympton has always used that includes holding screenings in the fall rather than the spring. As of right now the plan will be to hold open house for Grades 1-6 on September 1 and screenings for kindergarteners on September 2, 3, and 4. The hope would be to have kindergarten officially start on September 8. The incoming kindergarten class is currently estimated at 42 students, large by Plympton standards. Veneto also said that they are currently reviewing candidates for an open special education position. He said that due to cuts within other districts, there are a lot of great candidates available.

Director of Business Services Christine Healy shared where some of the cost savings from the past fiscal year were found. Transportation, utilities, and substitutes provided savings. Healy said that due to improvements to the building and the closure for the last few months, utilities savings totaled $27,000. After all are totaled, Healy said that $962.91 would be returned to the town from the regular day budget. $78,790 would be returned from special education and $21,199 from out of district vocational.

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch shared the results from the most recent survey on remote learning which will be used to inform the reopening plan. Lynch said that participation was high amongst both staff and families and consistent from the April survey to the June one. Results indicated that staff would like to see more accountability from students, additional professional development, and sharing of best practices. Parents were grateful for the individualization of learning plans for some students as well as the willingness to loan chromebooks. Families cited a lack of socialization, excessive screen time, and regression as concerns.

Pros and cons of various online platforms were also discussed. Wilhelmsen said that he was unsurprised to learn that many people didn’t like using Google Classroom and Google Meets. He said that his preference would be Zoom. Other potential platforms mentioned as alternatives were Loom, Blackboard, and Schoology. Fraser, who worked with Schoology in his teaching position, called it a more “robust and elegant” platform. He shared that he would be in favor of any expenditure incurred from the use of a better online platform.

Proulx told the committee that Plympton qualified for $20,000 from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund. She said the funds received can be used in similar ways to Title I and Title IIA funds. In addition, those funds can be used for technology, training or even PPE.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released a memo on June 25 which said that the Baker Administration would be allocating $200 million dollars toward schools for COVID related expenses. Schools would be eligible to receive up to $225 per student. Proulx said that shortly thereafter, a memo went out to business directors from the Lieutenant Governor saying that Plymouth County would not be receiving these allocations. Proulx said that she had a meeting the following day that she was hopeful would provide further clarification.

Proulx also provided an update on the plan for reopening. Building principals were asked to figure out how many students could fit in a classroom if requiring 3 feet of social distance and then again, for 6 feet of distance. Wilhelmsen inquired about the seemingly arbitrary 3 feet number. Fraser emphasized that there was no scientific basis for the number and called it “convenient.” He said that he would not support the reduced distancing for Plympton. “We need to do what’s right for our town and our kids,” he said.

The DESE Commissioner also requested that schools prepare three separate plans that account for in person learning, remote learning, and some form of a hybrid of the two. The deadline for the plans was also pushed up to July 31. Reopening committees have been formed and consist of a variety of individuals including nurses, counselors, parents, and staff. An intentions survey will also be distributed asking families questions such as if they intend to send their kids to school under the current circumstances and whether they plan to use the bus. Proulx pointed out that distancing requirements severely limit the number of students that can be put on a bus. Another potential issue will be how to handle a large increase in students being dropped off at school.

Wilhelmsen stressed the importance of thinking of the staff and their safety when developing a reopening plan. Fraser said that while he was not against reopening, he was for choice for both students and teachers. Proulx said that she and Lynch had discussed the option of giving families a choice and whether they had the means to meet the demands presented by choice.

“School will not look the same and parents need to understand that,” Fraser said. “There are lots of consequences to this crisis unfortunately,” Proulx agreed.  She continued, “Whatever our decisions are there is going to be a give and take… there are no simple answers to this unfortunately.” Proulx and Lynch both stressed that they are open to and welcome any and all suggestions and ideas regarding reopening.

Proulx thanked Megan Ahrenholz for putting together the summer lunch program. She also asked the committee to vote to accept an anonymous donation of $584.50 to pay off lunch debt,

With Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy absent, newly appointed Chair Mark Russo took the helm at the remotely held Monday, July 6 Plympton Board of Selectmen meeting. Holding up a legal pad and referring to it as the “parking lot” Russo said, “The intent of the parking lot is that issues might come up which are significant and important but aren’t on the agenda or aren’t within the timeframe of the meeting… so that those things can be held onto and certainly addressed at the next meeting or at the proper time.”

The first item on the agenda was getting the approval and appropriate signatures on the documents related to the sale of Lots 1 and 2 as well as the closing of Lot 3, all on Prospect St.  Russo referred to it as “another big step getting things done on Two Brooks.”

The Selectmen spent the remainder of the meeting focusing on the Board of Selectmen Projects and Priority list as well as the Board of Selectmen Goals for FY2021. Russo explained, “the main point of all of this is that with all the things we have going on at once, we don’t lose anything in the shuffle.” Although there was some discrepancy in how frequently, the selectmen all agreed that the documents need to be reviewed at regular intervals. “We lost a lot of time because of the virus… it feels to me that there are a couple of things on here that are now going into their second year; we need to refocus and bring some attention to it,” Selectman John Traynor explained.

The selectmen reviewed their previous goals and made amendments as needed. Vice-Chair Christine Joy asked that senior citizens’ needs become its own stand-alone goal. Shared services were removed as a goal as the pandemic makes it difficult to make progress in that area.

The selectmen also dissected what their goal of further professionalizing the town services means. Chair of the Town Properties Committee as well as the Plympton School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen was in attendance and offered his perspective that the goal was a perpetual one. “Then you have to take from that, what one or two things are you going to do in 2021 to meet that goal. You’re not going to wave a wand, and everything is professional and perfect and then you’re done. You’ll probably never be done with that goal” he said.

Russo said he would work on a draft of their goals to again be discussed at their next meeting. They then turned their attention to the discussion of the projects and priorities. Much of the list will be handled by the somewhat newly formed Town Properties Committee, a committee that Traynor referred to as one of the two most important ones in town (the second being by-law review). Wilhelmsen said that the committee plans to do the necessary work, including hiring consultants, to figure out what needs to be brought before the selectmen. The plan is to have a master spreadsheet that can be shared with the Board.

Turning their attention to the Highway Department portion of the list, Traynor said that he sees the Paving Software Management Plan as “a critical piece of letting the townspeople know where we are devoting our energies in terms of highway and restoration.”

How best to handle the oft discussed intersection on Main St. is also included amongst the town’s priorities. Traynor said that there has been a great deal of feedback on the topic as it’s mention always seems to attract a crowd. He went on to say, “somehow we need to bring this to a finish.” Russo suggested that the selectmen use their town voted ability to enable a safety zone with a limited speed limit until a final decision can be reached.

Also, on the priorities list was the town’s technology. Traynor said that while Dennehy is doing a great job regarding this topic and is having fiber installed, it would be good to have a technical resource to help guide the town into the future. Wilhelmsen said that the town website is behind what they used to have. “If we’re going to do more stuff online now and, in the future, that is a piece that is going to need to be addressed,” Wilhelmsen explained. Joy suggested that they ask Dennehy to look into available technology grants. Given the current environment, Joy said, “we’re going to have to offer more town services online.” Traynor suggested the possibility of having the town’s IT tied into the school district. Joy, for her part, felt it might be a better idea to look into shared IT services with other surrounding towns.

The selectmen also discussed the financial plan saying that they need to establish a 5-year capital plan. Traynor said that the Town Properties Committee is a wonderful asset to help guide where the town’s money will be directed in the future.

There was a brief discussion of the emergency management of the town. The selectmen agreed that the team has done an amazing job during the pandemic. “We’ve had a really good team leading us through this; they’ve been such an asset to the town” Joy said. Traynor said that he was “very impressed with the fire chief.” “Having a real professional at the police station at this time… thank goodness,” Russo added.

Several items came up under volunteerism and general government. Traynor said that he would like to see flags put up from the town green to the old townhouse. “I think we can probably raise some money to buy the flags… I think there would probably be people who want to help us.” Joy said she would like to see them develop a flag and decoration policy to ensure consistent, appropriate decoration for events such as Memorial Day and to ensure that no one has to pay out of their own pocket. Wilhelmsen brought up the state and age of the flag and the pole on the town green saying that it will soon be inoperable. He said it was high on the priorities list for the Town Properties Committee.

Other items discussed included affordable housing, cemetery clean-up, and senior citizens’ issues. Joy said that she would like to see the town seek opportunities to work with Habitat for Humanity when town properties are turned over through tax title or other means. Traynor said that a decade or so ago, the Boy Scouts assisted in the clean-up of the town’s cemeteries and said that he would like to once again look into a similar opportunity. Traynor also expressed concern over the effects the virus has had on the senior citizen population in town who are no longer able to have meetings. Wilhelmsen suggested the possibility of having the seniors meet remotely via a platform such as Zoom.

As always, the selectmen ended their meeting with their rants and raves. Joy said that while sad, her rave was for the recent vote that recalled two Kingston selectmen, including the chair, from their positions. “People got involved,” Joy said. “They weren’t happy with what was happening in town government and they did something about it,” she continued. Traynor said that his rave was for the agreement between Plympton and Middleborough regarding Soule Homestead and parking for Two Brooks Preserve. Traynor called it a “win, win, win.” Russo at first said his rant would be for the poor horses, dogs, and humans that struggle with fireworks but quickly changed his tune saying he preferred instead to provide a rave. He applauded the town for making it through the recent elections and town meeting and for opening and operating the townhouse again.

Under the Massachusetts’ phased plan for reopening, hair salons were able to open their doors beginning May 26 and restaurants were able to open for indoor seating beginning June 22.

Several hair salons in Halifax have been seeing clients for the past month with certain restrictions in place. Bk & Co Hair Design opened their doors on May 26 by appointment only. Clients were asked to wait for their appointment in their cars in order to allow for thorough sanitation between guests. Salon Serenity is taking temperatures at their door and asking all clients to alert them if they are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19. In addition, they ask that those coming in for their appointment come alone and wait in their car until called into the salon. Owner and stylist Kelly McAndrews told the Express that while they were initially not allowing blow drying, the salon has since begun offering that service again.

Teeka Lynne’s Salon & Day Spa also opened on May 26. Owner Teeka Isakson explained, “I have always run the salon based off the State Board guidelines. The State guidelines are really an enhancement to what we have already been doing.” Like the other salons in town, masks are required. Of the past month, Isakson said, “Overall things are going smoothly it just takes more time to take care of our clients due to the fact most have not had their hair done in 2-3 months.”

Restaurants have had a slower start for indoor dining as they were part of step 2 of phase 2 which began in late June. The Lyonville Tavern and Grille 58 in Halifax both plan to open the third week of July and are currently undergoing deep cleanings. The Express spoke to Lisa Davis, one of the owners of The Moon and Back Café in Plympton and was told they resumed indoor dining on June 23. “Right now, we have two booths that are separated, and I only have 2 tables that are six feet apart. I’m just waiting on my partitions to come in so that I can actually use all three of my booths,” Davis explained. She also said that just as it was in the pre-pandemic days, sanitization is of the utmost importance. “The past week has had its ups and downs; we’re just wading through the storm and hopefully everything is going to start picking back up,” Davis said.

The Blueberry Muffin in Kingston re-opened for in person dining on June 22. A staff member told The Express that tables have been set up at least six feet apart and that the restaurant is following all new sanitation guidelines from the state. Small changes such as ketchup being served in single packets only have also been implemented. Of the last week, they said, “It has been pretty steady, some days have been busier than others.”

Assistant General Manager of the West End Grill in Kingston, Weston Pearson, said the restaurant reopened for indoor seating as soon as allowed albeit with a somewhat limited menu and limited hours. All of the tables have been spaced out six feet. There is limited seating around the bar.

According to Pearson there are five additional tables available compared to the outdoor seating arrangement they had earlier in the pandemic. They are also still offering curbside pickup for those who aren’t ready to venture inside for a meal. Asked how business has been, Pearson said, “Slow, I think it’s a combination of that and also the time of year. We have another restaurant in Plymouth -Waterfront Bar and Grill, that’s been very busy. I think every day is a little bit better than the previous.”

The June 22 Plympton Board of Selectmen meeting began as a joint meeting with the Plympton School Committee. Daniel Cadogan was elected to the school committee during Saturday’s town election but was yet to be sworn in as of Monday’s meeting so was not part of the voting. Jon Wilhelmsen, who received several write-in votes during the election, had already been sworn in and accepted another term on the committee. The Board of Selectmen and School Committee took a vote to appoint Jason Fraser to replace resigning member Jill Palenstijn for the year-long remainder of her term. The school committee then adjourned.

The Board of Selectmen began their business with a reorganization. Current Chair Christine Joy made a motion to make Mark Russo the new Chair and John Traynor seconded. John Traynor was named the clerk and Christine Joy the new Vice Chair. Russo jokingly said that his ground rules as Chair included no spitting and no swearing.

Following the reorganization there was a very brief hearing to consider the application of Eversource located out of 273 Summer Street in Plymouth. There is a petition for the installation of one pole on Spring St. to raise the cable due to low hanging wires. No one attending the remote meeting wished to speak either in favor or against considering the application. Traynor made a motion to accept the application which was unanimously agreed upon and the hearing was closed.

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy requested that the town sign a three-year continuation of their auditing contract with Lynch Marini & Associates. “They have been doing an excellent job for us for quite some time,” Dennehy explained. The Board voted in favor of the continuation.

The Board then moved toward making the necessary fy21 appointments. Russo read through the lengthy list of people whose appointments were expiring at the end of the month asking that a hold be requested for any appointments needing further discussion.

The only appointment in question was that of Animal Control Officer and Animal Inspector. Joy said that she had  believed Brian Kling would be resigning but was relieved to hear that he no longer intended to resign. Russo made a motion to appoint all those on the list to another term in their present position. It was unanimously approved.

Dennehy provided the Board with updates regarding COVID-19 saying, “Town meeting was a success. I think we can all be very pleased with the way that things went…I do believe people felt at least somewhat secure with being there.”

Dennehy said that as of the Monday meeting there were two active cases in the town and all earlier cases were considered clear.

Dennehy also said that the town is working on a plan for the fall and winter and have been taking the necessary steps to ensure that the Fire and Police Departments are adequately supplied with all necessary equipment.

Dennehy told the Board that Fire Chief Stephen Silva has taken the lead with getting reimbursement through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. She also said that they have been coordinating with Wilhelmsen and Dennett Elementary School Principal Peter Veneto to make sure that they are reimbursed for any unforeseen COVID-related expenses.

Regarding future expenses, Wilhelmsen said that they are looking at both necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as additional chromebooks as the expectation is that next year will also involve some level of remote learning. The town is also looking to be reimbursed for residual town meeting expenses that were COVID-related such as the hiring of an AV company to help facilitate a socially distant meeting.

The Board of Health also received a secondary grant. Chair of the Board of Health Art Morin has already received reimbursement for the costs to spray the town buildings the first time. Dennehy said that when dealing with separate grants, etc., careful attention must be paid to not duplicate entries for reimbursement.

Dennehy said, “Otherwise, its been pretty much business as usual at the townhouse.” She said that a memo was sent out to town employees to remind them to keep their guards up as the threat posed from COVID-19 is still present.

Traynor brought up that a number of town issues have been placed on the back burner due to the pandemic and said that he would like to see those things receive attention once again. Russo and Joy concurred. It was agreed that the Board would focus much of their July 6 meeting on discussing and prioritizing these projects.

Dennehy gave an administrative update saying that she was pulling together an RFP to get a consultant on board for the hazard mitigation plan grant.

She also said that the purchase and sales agreement for one of the three lots auctioned off on Prospect Rd had already been signed and mailed to town counsel. She said she expected the closing to take place soon. The purchase and sales for the other two lots are in the final stages.

As is customary at their meetings, the selectmen ended their night with their rants or raves for the past few weeks. Joy said her rave was for all the residents that attended town meeting. “I know it was kind of a scary experience … but they came out and they took care of business,” Joy said.

Russo had two raves, the first of which was for Joy having finished her term as chair of the Board.

“I’m very appreciative of having the opportunity to sit next to Christine and learn from her,” Russo said. Traynor agreed. Russo’s second rave was for the town employees in agreeing to forgo a merit increase this year in order to guarantee that no jobs were lost and to keep the tax rate as modest as possible.

Traynor qualified his rave by saying that it was really more of a story. He said that about fifty years ago a binder was removed from the town records by someone that wanted it for their own library. That person recently passed, and their children shared it with someone else from Plympton. “I’m happy to report that the 1899 book of Plympton town boundaries is now back in the town vault,” Traynor concluded.

Town elections for both Plympton and Halifax will be held this Saturday, June 20. The Plympton town election will take place at the town house from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Halifax will hold their election at the Halifax Elementary School gym from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. These elections mark the first time the state has allowed early mail-in voting for local elections.

Halifax Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told the Express that to his knowledge, there wasn’t anyone that tried to pull papers to run for an elected position that was unable to do so due to the shutdown. Seelig did say, however, that there were some town officials who elected not to run again. Several candidates are running uncontested for re-election. This includes John Shiavone for a three-year term on the Board of Assessors, Patricia McCarthy for a four-year term on the Housing Authority, Diane Ruxton for a three-year term on the Board of Library Trustees, Edward Desharnais Jr. for a three-year term on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, and Troy Garron for a three year term on the Board of Selectmen. Richard Clark is also running for re-election uncontested for a five-year term on the Housing Authority as well as a three-year term on the Board of Water Commissioners. Both Robert Johnson and Alison Vance are running for re-election uncontested for the two spots available on the Halifax Elementary School Committee.

There is one seat available for a one-year term on the Planning Board with two candidates running against one-another. Candidates Alan Dias and Ashley DiSesa both appeared before the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen in January to fill a vacant position on the Board. At the time, DiSesa won the seat through a vote of the selectmen and Planning Board members though support was not unanimous. DiSesa must once again best Dias in votes, this time from the town, in order to remain on the Planning Board. The other contested race is between incumbent Steven Hayward and Michael Schleiff for Highway Surveyor.  Late Tuesday afternoon the Express was told that John Taglini is a write-in candidate for the: Halifax Elementary School Committee and the Silver Lake Regional School Committee.

Unlike the situation in Halifax, Plympton Town Clerk Patricia Detterman said that many people in Plympton did have difficulty pulling nomination papers due to the shutdown. The only candidates to successfully make their deadlines to have their signatures certified to be on the ballot were Mark Russo who is running for re-election for a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen and Daniel Cadogan who is seeking a three-year term on the Plympton School Committee. There are several positions with terms expiring despite not appearing on the ballot. Included among those are Jason Fraser and Jon Wilhelmsen who have both expressed interest in continuing to serve on the Plympton School Committee and in Fraser’s case the Silver Lake Regional School Committee as well.

Detterman said, “Saturday’s election will look a bit different this year. Masks and six feet social distancing rules are encouraged. We will have one-way traffic through the polls to avoid some of the socializing done in our front hall when voters are coming and going.” Other safety protocols will also be in place including handing out pens with each ballot rather than sharing pencils. The pens will be sanitized after each use. Both sanitizer as well as masks will be provided for anyone who doesn’t bring their own. Each occupied voting booth will have an empty one in between them in order to increase social distancing. A single booth will be designated for those unable to wear a mask due to health reasons and it will be sanitized in between each use.

“The election workers who are scheduled for Saturday have expressed they feel safe and want to participate in this event,” Detterman said. She also said that last year’s election yielded a 6 percent voter turnout with 128 ballots cast. Detterman said she is expecting the same for Saturday’s election.