More than 2,500 students in Hartford are heading back to the classroom tomorrow after more than a year of learning from home.
With that in mind, school and health leaders said they've been planning for this exact moment.
“Work around air quality, there’s work around masking, there’s work around hand-hygiene and all of those things have been happening throughout the year so I have the utmost confidence that those things will continue," said Director of Health and Human Services Liany Arroyo.
Earlier this month, the district began vaccinating school staff to add another level of protection.
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One other reason for the in-person learning option is chronic absenteeism, which happens when a student misses at least 10 percent of the school year.
The district has also ordered additional personal protective equipment and tried to separate desks.
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Even with those mitigation efforts, the city's teacher's union believes more time should be allocated to get ready for another group of students returning to the classroom.
“Every educator understands that the best thing for students is to be in the classroom to have that direct support and connection," said President of the Hartford Federation of Teachers Carol Gale.
"It’s how do we make that happen smoothly in a way that is best," Gale added.
Families still have the option to stay in remote learning or transition to in-person learning. They just ask that families let their school know before showing up for school.
