BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Parents at Buffalo Public Schools are relieved that students will be returning to the classroom on Monday, though prominent parents still wish their kids could have been back in the classroom sooner.
"If we had been doing what we were tasked to do last June, we should have had some kids back in the building as soon as classes started in September," Wendy Mistretta, a parent of a high school junior and senior and President of the District Parent Coordination Council, said. "It does not seem or feel quick to any of us advocating for access for our kids."
The district begins its phased reopening to prioritize their highest need students. This includes children in Pre-K through second grade, and high school seniors. Buffalo Schools, which enrolls more than 31,000 students, is the only district in Western New York to not return students to the classroom in-person this school year.
Although Buffalo Public Schools is significantly larger in enrollment than Niagara Falls City Schools, both are located in an urban settings. Niagara Falls has operated in a hybrid model all year.
Niagara Falls Superintendent Mark Laurrie thought they would be out of hybrid learning by now and had students back in school at least four days per week. He said they've had to constantly evolve their plans as the pandemic circumstances change.
"The plans you have set in stone today may have to change tomorrow," Laurrie said when asked what lessons from Niagara Falls can be applied to other urban districts. "The decisions you have to make are certainly going to be unpopular at times. Explaining the whys and being as open as you can be with what is going on is imperative."
Laurrie said there is a daily call to 15,000 phones and a daily YouTube video communicating developments with the community has been critical.
"Constantly over-communicating during a time of fear and anxiety is something, I think, is imperative to the smallest and the largest districts," he said.
There are still roadblocks for the return of students in Buffalo schools as the teacher's union and the district fight a legal battle over the return to hybrid learning. Parents and families are at the mercy of how that plays out in court.
"I am worried that there is going to be a delay," Mistretta said. "I appreciate the process the union is going through to make sure the buildings are safe. If there is a bit in the system where the union can prove that it's not safe for our kids to be in the building, I want to know that. As much as I want the kids to be in the building next week, I think that there are some that desperately need to be…If they can't safely be there, then I absolutely want to know that. I hope the process is truly engaging and open to what the true issues are."
