PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Education announced Monday it has updated its school calendar to allow students to return to school in January after the Christmas break on a staggered basis.
According to RIDE’s statewide schedule, students will start returning to school Jan. 7, 2021, and will begin school no later than Jan. 15. The schedule, RIDE said, is similar to the staggered schedule implemented at the start of the school year.
RIDE said the schedule allows 10 days after the holiday for quarantining and for testing plans to be developed. The department is also encouraging students, teachers and staff to maintain health and safety during the holiday break.
“It has been a challenging year but an incredible display of our school communities’ dedication to our students’ learning,” R.I. Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green said in a statement. “We are working to ensure that our school leaders have the flexibility to respond to their community needs while planning for a safe return to school in January in classrooms across Rhode Island.”
RIDE also said local school districts will have the flexibility to shift to distance learning from Dec. 21 through Dec. 23 if the districts decide this is the best option for schools based on weather, scheduling and anticipated decreased staffing due to the holiday break.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
