New Hingham Elementary will start school all-remote

CHESTERFIELD — New Hingham Regional Elementary School will start the school year with an all-remote learning model, the Chesterfield-Goshen Regional School Committee decided Tuesday night.

“This was not an easy recommendation or decision for the school committee or administration,” Principal Jesse McMillan shared on his Facebook page. “However, it is based on what we believe to be the safest option for students and staff.”

The School Committee unanimously approved the decision through Oct. 15, when school officials will reevaluate the model and the school’s ability to meet safety requirements.

Though the school had hopes in July that in-person learning would be possible, McMillan recently recommended the all-remote start to the school year due to factors such as an uptick in cases at schools that reopened elsewhere in the country and limited access to necessary equipment, such as certain disinfectants. Three out of the 34 staff members at the elementary school already contracted COVID-19 and have since recovered, though one staff member was severely ill and was placed on a ventilator, which McMillan said also informed his thinking. 

Locally, the South Hadley School Committee also voted earlier this week to begin the semester in a fully remote capacity and phase into in-person learning. 

Remote learning for students at New Hingham will begin on Sept. 16.