Less than five hours before it was to meet and vote on both the educational plan for the fall as well as a new start date of Sept. 16, the Hopkinton School Committee emailed school families Thursday afternoon indicating the meeting would be postponed one week.

“Out of an abundance of concern for adequate community access to our meeting agenda and packet, which were seemingly missing from the town calendar, tonight’s School Committee meeting has been postponed to next Thursday, August 13, at 7 PM,” the email reads. “This date shift also allows School Committee more time to watch the trajectory of the COVID-19 virus and gather more information prior to its vote on reopening plans.”

The email also indicated that Massachusetts Commissioner of Education Jeffrey Riley announced today that he is shifting the deadline for school districts to provide his department with their reopening plans from next Monday to next Friday (Aug. 14).

On a related note, the Hopkinton Teachers Association, which continues to negotiate with the district on the reopening plans, has a membership meeting scheduled for tonight.

The state teachers union, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, recently called for remote learning statewide until building safety could be ensured for all.