After many months of a hybrid schedule, elementary and middle schools students are scheduled to return to full in-person school on Feb. 1, but it is still unclear when high school students would be able to return.

Despite there not being a date for Staples to return, many questions still arise about the schedule of school once full in-person begins. 

“I believe Wednesdays will still be remote at the middle schools,” Principal Thomas Stafford said. 

The transition of younger students to fully in-person prompts potential schedule changes for  high school students, but Thomas confirms the 80-minute periods will be in effect for the remainder of the year.  

“We will also look at our schedule in the spring for next year, but they will stay for the remainder of this year,” Thomas said.  

Many teachers are against going back full time before they are all vaccinated.   

“We are still waiting for the state to allow school employees under 1b to become eligible,” Susanne Levasseur, the Westport School district’s health coordinator, said.  

Right now vaccination is limited to health care workers and those above 75.  We anticipate school staff may be eligible in late February early March. With possible vaccination openings almost a month away from the start of full in-person learning, Westport Public Schools superintendent, Thomas Scarice, has received backlash from many teachers. 

“We are obligated to balance our public health responsibilities with the perhaps less obvious risks that have impacted our children as a result of the reduction of on-site schooling.” Scarice said. 

Many students are looking forward to heading back to school. 

“I would love to go back full time,” Kathleen Coffey ’24 said. “I feel like I would get the full educational and high school experience, and if the administration thinks it’s good to go, then I’m all for it.”