Grafton starts the school year with 20 new teachers

Grafton will start the school year next Tuesday with more than 50 new hires, including 20 teachers new to the district.

“We are ready to open our doors Tuesday morning to all students,” Kristen Gasper, assistant superintendent for human resources and operations, told the School Committee.

Some may think of the summer as a long vacation. That may be true for most students, but for Central Office staff, it’s been a busy time of hiring and planning. New staff come in for orientation this week and are given a mentor, ideally at the same grade level.

While there are many hellos, there were also goodbyes. In addition to Jim Pignataro, who retired as Grafton High School principal back in June, retirees included Noel Fillers, a special education teacher at Grafton Middle School, Laura Kohler of Grafton High School; Ceil Phillips, a Grade 2 teacher at Millbury Street Elementary; Deb Pollinger and Lori Laurnia, both Millbury Street paraprofessionals; and Carol Tellier, a paraprofessional at South Grafton Elementary. In addition, Janet Mangano, a Grade 6 teacher at North Street Elementary School, will be retiring after the fall.

Contract negotiations have also concluded for teachers, nurses and custodial staff, Gasper said.

But, of course, it’s still a COVID-19 start to the school year, but there are considerable differences from last fall, Superintendent of Schools Jay Cummings said.

Say goodbye to virtual school. Au revoir to social distancing requirements. See you later, outdoor masks.

The Massachusetts Department of Education announced Tuesday that all students will be required to wear masks indoors at least through October 1. Additionally, federal law requires students to wear masks on school buses at all times.

New this year is the “test and stay program,” which will allow students who have been in contact with asymptomatic people who test positive for Covid to stay in school. Nurses are now allowed to use BinaxNOW to test these students daily for seven days. If they remain Covid-negative, they are allowed to stay in school.

Cummings hoped to get a consent form out to parents Wednesday with information about the testing program.

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