The ConVal School District got 110 new students this year from new-to-the-area families, while about the same number of existing students opted for homeschool this year, and about 50 transferred out of the District. In October, 1,600 students were learning in-person and 410 were learning completely remotely, Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders said. Forty-five students switched to in-person at the start of the month, which was students’ first opportunity to switch tracks after beginning the school year remotely.
There have been 110 new enrollments from families moving into the District, Rizzo Saunders said, on top of 145 Kindergarten registrations this year. At the same time, about 100 students switched to homeschooling, 36 students transferred to private schools, and 21 to other public or charter schools this year, she said.
The District has not yet compiled numbers of in-person and remote learners by town, Rizzo Saunders said, and she declined to comment on any changes in the number of free and reduced lunch recipients by town.
So far, there have been three days when rain was too heavy for students to attend classes outside or under tents, she said, and most students have come to school dressed for the day’s weather. The District is waiting on results from a third-party test of their indoor air quality improvement measures, which are meant to meet CDC guidelines for ventilation in schools, according to a press release. This year, the district installed mold, bacteria, and virus-killing ionization units in every HVAC unit’s ductwork, increased the outside air circulation during daytime hours, and installed MERV-11 filters that capture viruses and allergens. The improvements and third-party test are meant to precede cold weather that will drive the student body indoors after a fall spent maximizing outdoor time, according to the press release. Tents will likely start coming down this week, it said.
“Air quality is something that we have been improving upon for years and continue to do so with the health of our students and staff in mind,” Facilities Manager Tim Grossi said. “We will continue to monitor our systems to see if there are any additional upgrades or improvements we can make in preparation for students to return to their indoor classrooms.” The district started making indoor air quality improvements in 2008 and so far, 90 percent of all buildings’ HVAC equipment has been upgraded since then, according to a report from Grossi and HVAC specialist Keith Lee. All systems are scheduled to be automated by the end of this fall, meaning staff can monitor the temperature, carbon dioxide levels, and humidity remotely and make adjustments as needed.
A virtual open house is scheduled for ConVal High School families on Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. Parents and guardians can meet student’s teachers and learn about in-person and remote learning expectations, Google Classroom, grading policies, and more, although individual conferences will not be available, according to a press release. Parents and guardians should receive information about the event by the end of this week.