PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien says he hopes schools will be able to bring more students back to learn in person soon, but he trusts the school committee to make the right choice.
The Pawtucket School Committee voted Tuesday night to keep nearly all students learning remotely for the remainder of the year, despite a potential plan presented by Superintendent Cheryl McWilliams allowing students to gradually return to the classroom.
“We need to be looking at those options,” Grebien said in an interview with 12 News.
The mayor emphasized he trusts the school committee will make the right decisions, but he hopes in the following weeks they begin moving towards more in-person learning options.
“It becomes more what’s right for our community, what’s right for the kids,” he said. “I know they want to do the right thing so I’m very hopeful that within the week you will start to see some movement.”
Grebien said he has no power over the decision other than influence.
“We want to protect the students, the teachers, everybody we can, having said that my role becomes trying to influence them,” he said.
