*Click here to view the Hull Public Schools return-to-school safety video*
HULL — Superintendent Judith Kuehn is pleased to report that the Hull Public Schools has released a video highlighting the many health and safety measures that have taken place in the district ahead of the start of the 2020-21 academic year.
“We take the health and safety of all our students and staff very seriously. It has always been our highest priority,” Superintendent Kuehn said. “We hope that people will see this video and have a better understanding of the various ways in which the Hull Public Schools have modified our buildings and policies to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus.”
The video highlights the 6-foot distancing that has been set up in classrooms, which will allow for approximately nine students in middle school and high school classes and 12 students in elementary school classes.
It also highlights personal protective equipment that the district will be using at the start of the year, including masks, gloves, soap and hand sanitizer, and disinfectant, as well as the revised hallway traffic patterns in all schools.
Modifications to school equipment include disconnecting bathroom hand dryers and water fountains to limit the risk of exposure for students and staff.
The first day of school for students will be Wednesday, Sept. 16. The district, in collaboration with the Hull Teachers Association, worked to undergo an independent evaluation by an HVAC engineering firm to evaluate all ventilation systems in the school prior to opening day, and gave the schools’ HVAC systems a positive verbal report based on low levels of capacity in each classroom.
“We are fortunate to have equipment that is new enough to allow us to maintain proper air flow in all our school buildings,” Hull Public Schools HVAC engineer Jerry Soucy said. “Our fans will be on high this year to circulate the air as much as possible.”
The Hull Public Schools will be constantly monitoring available health data to ensure proper protocols are in place.
“Our leadership team, school nurses, custodians and all other staff involved in our return-to-school plans have worked tireless this entire summer to make sure that our buildings are as safe as possible, and we will continue to do so once the school year begins,” Superintendent Kuehn said. “We would like to thank the Hull Public Schools community for their continued support and patience during these difficult times.”
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Lillian M. Jacobs Elementary School Principal Christine Cappadona and Assistant Principal Kyle Shaw mark off socially-distant decals for the hallway floor, just one of many safety measures that will be in place once school begins Sept. 16. (Photo courtesy Hull Public Schools) Lillian M. Jacobs Elementary School Assistant Principal Kyle Shaw inspects a classroom featuring socially-distant desks prior to the start of school Sept. 16. (Photo courtesy Hull Public Schools)
