As parents of children in Amity Middle School-Bethany, Amity Middle School-Orange, and Amity Regional High School, we were surprised and dismayed by your letter to parents on October 20, 2020.  

Your letter mentions how a return to in-person learning would be operationalized, and some of the impacts, but does not provide any specifics as to a date when this transition would occur.  We have since learned second-hand that the transition will occur on November 4th. 

Even more importantly, your parent survey does not allow for any parental responses beyond a forced choice of either full-time return to school at 100% capacity, or full-time remote.  Nor does it allow for parent comments.

All of the questions in the survey involve many changing contextual factors and cannot simply be answered with a 2-option forced-choice response.  With the survey having a forced choice between either full time in-person or full-time at home, we are concerned many parents will choose full time in-person, even if they do not feel comfortable with this model.  There should be a response option for continuing with the hybrid learning model.  

It was especially surprising to receive this letter and survey on a day when state COVID-19 positive tests, positive test rates, hospitalizations and deaths were at their highest since early June, and have been trending in the wrong direction for the past few weeks.  We repeatedly hear from public health experts that the next 6-12 weeks are expected to involve a surge of cases, hospitalizations, and potentially deaths.  

The reality reflected by the State of Connecticut Covid-19 numbers and the Amity Regional School District's consideration of moving to full-time in-person learning are at odds.  In Bethany, the positive test rate falls within the State of Connecticut guideline recommendations for a Hybrid Learning Model, which you reference in your letter.  The guidelines recommend moving to a hybrid model when the case rate per 100,000 population is "10 to < 25".  In addition, the case rate within Orange and Woodbridge are also increasing, as is the case rate in all surrounding towns. 

In addition, the school district also needs to take into account the latest CDC definition of “close contacts”, released this week, which includes 15 minutes of cumulative interactions with an infected person than 6’ away over a 24 hour period. 

We are concerned our voices are not being heard, or misrepresented, with inadequate survey data.

We are concerned for the safety of our children and families because case rates are rising in the local area and are predicted to surge in the coming weeks. 

We are concerned for the safety of our children when local case rates fall within State of Connecticut guidelines for a Hybrid Learning Model, while the district seeks to transition to full-capacity in-person learning 5 days a week.

We are concerned that the Quinnipiac Valley Health District and the Orange Health District have not recommended this move away from hybrid learning.

We are concerned about safety with class size expanding to upwards of 20 students and desks typically placed 3 to 4 feet apart. 

We are concerned about safety with double the students on school buses. 

We are concerned that only parents of students sitting directly next to a Covid-positive student are notified, not the entire cohort or class, and not even the teacher. 

A move to full-time in person learning depends on many rapidly changing variables, involves complex and challenging decisions for all of us, and cannot be taken lightly.

At the moment, the hybrid model is working, and is protecting students when cases do arise.  The hybrid model is a good compromise, addressing both student academic and social needs, as well as public health concerns.  

At a time when cases are increasing, and public health experts believe they will surge in the coming weeks, the best option at the moment would be to continue with the hybrid model, while also recognizing the potential need to close the schools temporarily if we are faced with high levels of community spread.  

Please continue with the hybrid learning model until we have data suggesting the rates of infection have peaked and returned to an appropriately low and stable level.