COF 2020 #61 : A communication was received Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting information from the School Committee.

Cambridge City Hall | 795 Massachusetts Avenue | Cambridge, MA 02139 ssiddiqui@cambridgema.gov│[phone removed]│tty: [phone removed]│cambridgema.gov 1 OFFICE OF THE MAYOR Sumbul Siddiqui Mayor To: Cambridge City Council From: Sumbul Siddiqui, Mayor Date: October 22, 2020 Subject: Communicating information from the School Committee To the Honorable, the City Council: At the School Committee’s last Regular Meeting on October 20th, Superintendent Salim gave this presentation to provide an update on enrollment, staffing, FY21 costs, and scenario planning. As of October 15th, 55% (1,579) eligible students are enrolled in the in-person instruction model and FY21 COVID-19 costs are estimated to be about $17.1 million. CPSD estimates requesting an additional $13.0 million from the City. As we plan for “Phase 3” I want to make sure that we properly engage our many stakeholders and particularly the families of our most vulnerable scholars. As you all know, CPSD has established three metrics for monitoring the level of COVID-19 spread. Two of the three metrics must exceed their threshold in order for school buildings to close. The District’s current wastewater metric has a threshold of <100 viral genomes/mL in the wastewater at the MWRA sewage treatment plant. MWRA has reported that the 7-day average of the virus measured in the wastewater hit 100 viral genomes/mL as of October 19th. The other two metrics remain comfortably below their thresholds. I am looking forward to the launch of our City’s pilot program for wastewater testing in Cambridge as it will inform and help to refine CPSD’s monitoring. I am continuing conversations with CRLS and the City about the feasibility of a small pilot for supervised remote learning spaces for students in grades 6-8, in partnership with local nonprofit organizations. If we are able to make this possible, we will be prioritizing students with the greatest need and adhere to all of the guidelines in the CPS COVID-19 Safety and Facilities Manual. I will provide all updates as they are available. I have been participating in CRLS’s #HerVote club meetings and events, supporting their projects including #HerVote (in partnership with the Radcliffe Institute) to help continue shaping the way we understand women’s role in our democratic processes. I encourage you all to also download

Cambridge City Hall | 795 Massachusetts Avenue | Cambridge, MA 02139 ssiddiqui@cambridgema.gov│[phone removed]│tty: [phone removed]│cambridgema.gov 2 and print this template, to write your own response, and share it with us on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #HerVote in this last stretch before the November 3rd election. Our next Family Resource Fair will be on Saturday, October 24th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM on the Cambridge Public Library lawn. This will be a quick grab-and-go event for answering back-to-school questions and sharing resources. We will have STEAM activities, computer help, free books, and snacks! Our upcoming meetings are as follows: • Tuesday, October 27th, 2020 o Roundtable | 6:00 PM ▪ Discussing opportunities and challenges of this year with all elementary school principals • Wednesday, October 28th, 2020 o Special Education and Student Supports Subcommittee Meeting | 6:00 PM ▪ Discussing the OSS safety manual and OSS school coordination and collaboration • Tuesday, November 17th, 2020 o Regular Meeting | 6:00 PM Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, suggestions, or concerns. Respectfully, Sumbul Siddiqui