WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has granted Worcester Public Schools permission to delay its return to full-time, in-person learning, Jeffrey C. Riley Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education announced Wednesday.
Students in grades K-8 will not begin five days of in-person learning until May 3, a full month later than the majority of schools in the Commonwealth, which are slated to begin on April 5 as required by the state.
“It is critical that Worcester students return to the classroom as expeditiously as possible after a year of remote learning. We know that families are anxious to have their children back in school full-time,” he wrote. “However, based on the information provided, your request has been approved.”
Riley said that 90 percent of districts will have their elementary schools back fully in-person by April 5, but the state received waiver requests from 74 school districts seeking to delay full in-person learning, including Boston.
Worcester is required to operate under a hybrid model for all K-12 students starting no later than March 29.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)