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By Christina Hager
August 29, 2022 / 6:11 PM / CBS Boston
WORCESTER – “Welcome back,” said Chandler Elementary Principal Jessica Moss to the single file line of students clamoring through the hallway after lunch Monday.
“It’s a gift. It’s a gift to be back in-person, eyeball-to-eyeball, seeing smiling faces, interacting with kids and just seeing the sheer joy of them being back with us in-person,” she said.
“This year is the first year in three years that we’ve actually felt a bit of normalcy,” said Bryttani Fugere, as she picked up her son at the end of the day.
Masks are optional in Worcester Public Schools this year, and students say they feel more comfortable. “I’m happy to get back to school,” said third grader Jayla Paulino. “We colored and we made a new binder.”
Worcester’s new school superintendent Dr. Rachel Monarrez, said the district is dealing with a staffing shortage, like many others across the state and country. “We do have some vacancies still,” she said. “So, what we’re doing is…any person that’s in the district office in terms of support staff that can go in and support schools, we’ve got that in place.”
There’s also a need for more school bus drivers. Worcester has two new computer systems in place this year, a high-tech transportation system that tracks buses, and a student information system. They both experienced brief unexpected outages Monday morning, but by midday, they were back on track.
Christina Hager is an Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter with the I-Team at WBZ-TV News. She has spent more than two decades covering major breaking news events across the country, including extensive daily coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
First published on August 29, 2022 / 6:11 PM
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©2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
