State pushes back deadline for districts to submit COVID-19 plan

MALDEN — State education officials are allowing Massachusetts school districts a few extra days to submit final plans for the next school year, including whether classes will be remote, in-person or a combination of both during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commissioner Jeffrey Riley told superintendents on a phone call Thursday that he was delaying the deadline from Aug. 10 to Aug. 14, officials with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education confirmed. The deadline was delayed in part because some districts needed to accommodate scheduled school committee meetings.

Boston, the largest school district in Massachusetts, released an updated draft to its reopening plan earlier this week. The district has ruled out a return to full-time, in-person learning.

In the executive summary of the plan, Boston Public Schools said the district will either have all students learn remotely to start the school year or will reopen schools with a hybrid model, in which students alternate between going to school buildings and learning remotely from home.