HOLYOKE – Holyoke Public School students will begin the year remotely.

The decision was announced the morning of Aug. 12 via a letter from superintendent Alberto Vázquez Matos, who said he’d received feedback from surveys, Facebook Live sessions, public comments and emails.

Ultimately, he said, he is “committed to making sure all Holyoke students and staff feel safe and valued.” The 2020-2021 school year, he said, would begin remotely. However, students of specific populations would have the option to opt-in to limited in-person learning.

Vázquez Matos said the opt-in decision would be for “those for whom exclusive remote learning is less conducive to have small in-person learning district-wide.” Student populations who would qualify for limited in-person learning include students with disabilities, English learning students, students who have been identified as “disengaged youth,” and students in the Career and Vocational Technical Education program at the Holyoke High School Dean Campus.

He said the district would monitor “health metrics” throughout the year “to help us make decisions about whether and when to bring more students back to school.” Vázquez Matos referenced recent metrics released by Gov. Charlie Baker to help municipalities and school districts across the Commonwealth as they plan to reopen their communities and schools.