Superintendent Boyd sent the following update on the status of in-person learning to the LPS community. The letter is posted here and can be found below.

The letter has also been translated in the following languages: Arabic | Khmer | Lao | Portuguese | Spanish | Swahili | Vietnamese

January 25, 2021

Dear Lowell Public Schools Students, Families, and Staff,

As we continue to plan for a safe return to in-person learning, the School Committee held a joint meeting with the Lowell Board of Health on Monday, January 25, to discuss the current status of COVID-19 here in Lowell.

After weighing all factors - including the latest trends in the local COVID-19 data and the associated health and safety risks for students, staff and the broader community - the School Committee voted to push back the first of the targeted dates to begin having students return to in-person instruction from February 1 to February 22. 

Therefore, all Lowell Public Schools students will continue in remote learning through at least the February vacation week, with the following revised target dates for returning students to in-person instruction:

• February 22 - Students in substantially separate special education programs who were previously participating in our in-person learning model

• March 1 - Students, who are not in a substantially separate special education program, but were previously served in-person this school year as part of our original school reopening plan

• April 1 - Expansion of our in-person learning model to include additional students beyond those who were assigned to in-person learning at the beginning of this school year

It is important to reiterate that these dates are not set in stone. We will continue to review the COVID-19 data and consult with the Board of Health. And we will be sure to provide you with any updates as we look at our learning plan going forward. 

We remain thankful for your partnership and flexibility as we work through the continued uncertainty of this unprecedented health crisis. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Joel D. Boyd

Superintendent of Schools