WESTFIELD – The School Committee on April 5 unanimously approved plans for a Virtual K-8 School to begin in the fall of 2021 for families that choose that option, while delaying a vote on the Fort Meadow Early Childhood program.

“We know some families and students are thriving in a remote environment,” said Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski.

He said a committee of administrators and principals have been meeting weekly since December after being given the go-ahead by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to start planning a virtual school, following a survey of families that showed an interest in this option. The school will be consistent with the district’s vision, with the same standards and the same curriculum.

Susan Dargie, director of curriculum and instruction, said there are two commonwealth remote schools that have been in existence for quite some time. She said the law allows for 10 and has a pathway that allows for single district virtual schools that operate as another school in the district.

“That’s what we’re seeking. We’re working in conjunction with DESE on this. Other districts are now also exploring this, which has always been an option,” she said.

“This will be a unique educational pathway for K-8 students,” Czaporowski said. He said high school is not included at this time, because there are more remote options available to high school students, including partnerships with area colleges.

Munger Hill Elementary Principal Salvatore Friere said the virtual school will be another school in the district with its own principal, it just won’t have students going to a building.

He said the district is looking to have families commit to the school for the year. “The expectation is that somebody who is supporting the child is supporting them at home throughout the day, not just a small portion of the day. That’s the level of support that’s required,” he said.

Dargie added that at this point, WPS is planning for a K-8 school with one classroom per grade level, depending on the level of interest. Families that would be choosing this school would have children on the same school schedule as the district with the same lunch schedule and same school calendar. The student day will be from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and each student’s day will begin with a morning meeting or home room.

“Those are times where we’re building relationships and they will have a team-building focus,” Dargie said. The day will be made up of synchronous and asynchronous learning, sometimes being guided by a teacher, sometimes independently.

The school will follow trimester grading and practices. The curriculum will have four core subjects; English language arts including reading and writing; science, social studies and math. There will also be special subject areas that will depend on enrollment, and could include the arts, wellness, computer science, engineering, and world language. She said there will also be individual goal setting by students which incorporates exploration time.

“The students will have voice and choice,” she said, adding that many components of the school are still in development, and the district will need to negotiate with unions, staff and principals, who will also contribute to the program.

Dargie said the virtual school will support students academically, and with social-emotional and behavioral interventions. There will be a school adjustment counselor, access to River Valley Counseling, PBIS and Tier 2 and 3 interventions. She said necessary technology will be provided by the district, including hotspots if needed, “just like we provide instructional materials to students in school,” she said.

“You get what everybody gets, if you need more, you get more,” said Friere, adding that If a student has special needs, they will receive them in this school setting, along with occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech. He said if a student’s first language is not English and they require additional help, certified ELL (English language learner and bilingual teachers will be available as needed, as well as translation services for families.

“In the beginning, we are only able to offer the virtual school to Westfield residents. We want to be able to be the school system for anyone who resides in Westfield, no matter what,” Friere said. Applications to enroll in the school are due May 28, with approvals by June 25, which he said are “soft deadlines.” He said the district will help students with the application process if needed, including translator services.

There will be a staff Information session on April 13, and a parent information session on April 28 from 10 to 11 a.m. and on May 6 from 6 to 7 p.m. Fliers went out to families on April 6 with a link to register for the sessions. The link is also posted at schoolsofwestfield.org and on Facebook at Westfield, MA Public Schools.

In other business, no action was taken by the School Committee on the Early Inclusion Plan, which would close the First Meadow Early Childhood Center and move preschool into four elementary schools.

Czaporowski thanked everybody, including parents, who have been involved in the ongoing discussion. “The first thing I’ll start with is I also agree that we need a year to deal with this,” he said, adding that he first brought it up due to the deteriorating condition of Fort Meadow, a pre-World War I building in need of repairs. He said more work needs to be done on the plans, and the district will involve the Fort Meadow staff, who they consider to be the experts in the field, in any future move.

Czaporowski said the larger vision is to expand access to preschool in the future. “For me, one of the things I would love to see in Westfield is a full-day program. When the five elementary schools are online, we will be able to expand access to preschool,” he said, referring to the new Franklin Avenue Elementary school project.

“If we wait a year, we could talk about it later. But it would be good to know what direction we’re going in so we can form a transition team. If that’s what we’re going to do, we need a decision, and we could start the transition team this summer,” Czaporowski told the committee, adding that he would like to see a vote before the end of the school year.