Editor’s Note: This district policy has since changed to allow all PMHS students to enter the building on school days beginning May 17.

Superintendent of Pelham Schools Dr. Cheryl Champ announced that Pelham Memorial High School seniors who requested in-person learning will be allowed to attend their virtual classes from within the PMHS building, in an email on Friday.

This decision came following a forum between school administrators, PMHS seniors and their parents to address concerns around the district reopening plan announced in a school board meeting on April 7. In the meeting, senior parents expressed discontent over the “more robust” hybrid model proposed by Champ for PMHS, which would only allow for 3-4 days of in-person learning for students instead of the tentatively planned full-time, in-person learning discussed in a meeting in March.

Under the new change, PMHS seniors that requested in-person learning will be allowed to enter the school building on their assigned virtual days, but must attend classes via Google Meet in the library. Barriers, three-foot social distancing and the use of headphones will be required for all those choosing to attend class in the library. If given enough space due to absences, in-building virtual students may be added into their classrooms on a case-by-case basis.

“We are excited to be able to offer this option to our seniors and hope that they will take advantage of this opportunity to be together as a class and with their peers,” said Champ. “If other viable options present themselves, we will adjust and take advantage of those opportunities.”

To finalize planning and manage supervision, these new plans for PMHS seniors will begin on April 26.