Note: Interviews for this story were conducted prior to knowledge of the ransomware attack that impacted Buffalo Public Schools.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – While last week's ransomware attack halted phase two of reopening Monday at Buffalo Public Schools, there was already concern from parents about the district's communication, or lack of, about a reopening timeline.
Students in grades 3, 4, 9, 11, and all students with special needs are now eligible for hybrid learning. Children between Pre-K and second grade and all high school seniors began hybrid learning on February 1.
The only students who are not eligible for hybrid learning are between fifth and eighth grade and sophomores in high school.
The district announced on Sunday evening that all classes were canceled Monday due to the ransomware attack. The attack is still under investigation.
"It's really difficult and I understand the need for a phased-back in approach and it makes sense to me in some ways that ninth grades would be returning," Jessica Bauer Walker, a parent of a sixth and eighth grade at the district, said. "I'm not quite sure about the justification for third and fourth graders. I know what I'm experiencing with my children and other families I speak to…the middle schoolers, because of their age and where they are developmentally are really struggling."
She said middle schoolers are not doing well under hybrid learning and wishes there would be more conversations with district officials about the rationale for picking which students could return under the phased model.
"I don't have much of an understanding of when my kids will be back in school," Bauer Walker said. "It really seems like it's a relatively insular process. We have some opportunities to give feedback on a bill being in district level if you can make these meetings but ultimately, the district is making these decisions. It's confusing how there's general district guidance in terms of which grades are going back but, in some schools, they're making their own plans so that there are children in certain grades that are not in those districtwide grades that are going back that are returning. So it's hard to know."
City Honors is one of the schools that doesn't follow the normal reopening procedure despite being part of the district.
"City Honors is a 5-12 so they opted to bring back fifth, eighth, and ninth," Wendy Mistretta, a parent of two kids at City Honors and President of the District Parent Coordinating Council, said.
Mistretta appreciated the communication from City Honors but said her biggest issue with the school has been the lack of clear and concise planning. She doesn't believe the district is being intentional about its lack of communication but believes the district is unclear internally.
"If you talk to different people within the district, you get different answers," Mistretta said. "We'll sit on the reopening committee and get one answer from the chief of staff, then a different answer from a board member, then a different answer from a press conference."
Superintendent Kriner Cash previously told WBEN that future phases will be examined every two or three weeks. While that may result in the rest of the students returning to hybrid learning by the end of the school year in June, Bauer Walker is not optimistic her kids will be back this year.
"I'm trying not to get my hopes up," Bauer Walker said. "It has been so challenging for them and for me. I'm hopeful in some ways that maybe they'll get back but it won't be based on how things are rolling out until the fourth quarter. Maybe at the very end of this year they'll get some school. Otherwise it won't be until next year."
One reason why the district has been unable to bring students back is because of transportation issues. The district must follow state guidance related to school buses, meaning social distancing is required. Normally a bus can fit 50 to 60 students, but the maximum capacity is now 26 students on the largest of the buses.
"The cohort scheduling helps a lot," Cheryl Kennedy, Director of Transportation at Buffalo Schools, said. "We're essentially by breaking up the days of attendance, we're cutting the student population in half. A lot of our families are opting out of transportation and opting out of in-person instruction."
The district expects to use approximately 400 buses to accommodate all the students who can participate in hybrid learning. Normally, they use more than 600 buses.
"It really is a giant puzzle that we're putting together because of our charter schools, non-public, and agency schools alongside our Buffalo Public students as well" Kennedy said.
