EVERETT, MASS. (WHDH) – Everett Public Schools will be closed for 30 school days beginning Friday as town officials grapple with how to address the everchanging coronavirus outbreak.
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Everett Public Schools made the decision to close beginning Friday, March 13, after consulting with health professionals. Students will return to school on April 27.
After just nine days on the job, Everett’s new Superintendent Priya Tahiliani made the difficult decision on Thursday. The closure appears to be the longest in the state.
“I know it’s long,” she said, “however we did not consider just doing 2 weeks because the way this is spreading we needed to be overly cautious.”
Deanna Deveney, Everett’s Deputy Director of Communications agrees saying, “The schools are in a small area for a lot of people. The governor, the CDC, and the DPH have stated that people in a small area with more than 100 people should not do that.”
But many are wondering what to do for childcare.
“Maybe babysitting for one another. I really don’t know and I feel horrible I don’t have a good answer for this, I feel we’re in unchartered territory here,” Tahiliani said.
Meal pick-up for students will be available at 28 schools across the city, officials said.
“We also have online accounts for all our students for learning. We know not all our students have access to that so we’re also creating paperwork that we’ll distribute in public places like grocery stores.”
The Everett City Hall will also be closed for a two-week period and reopen March 30. Nonessential employees must stay home and work remotely following the March 30 deadline.
More than 100 schools and districts across the Bay State have closed in an effort to safeguard against the spread of the coronavirus.
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Tahiliani said nothing is set in stone “If it turns out people are healthy and it stops spreading so quickly and we have the infrastructure to deal with it then of course we’ll open the schools and bring everyone back early.”
Wellesley Public Schools will be closed for at least two weeks, while Weston Public Schools will be shut down until March 18 due to a student who was showing coronavirus symptoms. Testing came back inconclusive.
The principal of Salem High School has self-quarantined for 14 days after recently returning from a trip to Paris, prompting the closure of all schools in the city, officials announced.
Worcester Public Schools have also been closed for cleaning after three individuals were tested for the coronavirus. Their test results have not yet come back.
In a statement, the Massachusetts Teachers Association urged lawmakers to close all public schools immediately.
The statement read in part:
“For the good of students, educators and our communities, the MTA is calling today for all public schools in the Commonwealth to shut down immediately for two weeks, while preparing for a longer closure if necessary. This urgent step is needed to make a significant and consistent impact on the spread of COVID-19, which we all know is a potentially deadly virus.”
The growing list is as follows:
BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Boston Public Schools will be closed on Tuesday, March 17 and will remain closed until Monday, April 27. At this time, there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Boston schools.
The Eliot K-8 School’s three campuses in the North End closed on Wednesday, March 11 due to a presumptive positive coronavirus case. Officials said the decision to close Eliot schools was made out of an abundance of caution after a “non-student member of the school community” tested positive for the virus.
SOMERVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Somerville Public Schools will be closed for a minimum of two weeks to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 effective Monday March 16.
“We realize this decision creates inconveniences for residents, businesses, and organizations in our city but the health and safety of our community must come first,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone.
BROOKLINE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Brookline Public Schools will be closed for at least two weeks beginning March 13 and ending March 27 as town officials grapple with how to address the growing coronavirus outbreak.
In a statement, school officials said, “The Public Schools of Brookline is working very closely with the Brookline Department of Public Health every day to ensure that our students and staff are safe and healthy. ”
WESTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Weston Public Schools will be closed starting March 12 through March 18.
A student in the system is symptomatic according to a release issued by officials though their results for the COVID-19 test came back inconclusive.
EVERETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Everett Public Schools will be closed for 30 school days beginning on Friday as town officials grapple with how to address the growing coronavirus outbreak.
In a message to the town on Thursday, officials said Everett Public Schools mad ethe decision to close beginning Friday, March 13, after consulting with health professionals. Students will return to school on April 27.
WELLESLEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Wellesley Public Schools will be closed for two weeks beginning March 13 as town officials grapple with how to address the growing coronavirus outbreak.
In a message to the town on Thursday, officials said Wellesley Public Schools mad ethe decision to close beginning Friday, March 13, after consulting with town leaders, though the length of the closure “may change based on direction from state and local health officials.”
“We realize this decision has a significant impact and far-reaching ramifications for our community and understand the disappointment, frustration and uncertainty that is created,” the statement read. “However, we believe these steps are necessary given the current realities.”
SALEM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The principal of Salem High School has self-quarantined for 14 days after recently returning from a trip to Paris, France, school officials announced.
Dr. Meier, who is not showing any coronavirus symptoms at this time, is said to be following CDC guidelines.
“Out of an abundance of caution, I have made the decision to dismiss Salem High School students beginning at 10:30am,” Superintendent Kathleen Smith said in a message to the school community.
Smith said the high school will remain closed through Friday, while other public schools in the city will also be shut down to allow for a second deep cleaning and disinfecting.
WINCHENDON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
All public schools in the town of Winchendon will be closed until further notice for “precautionary cleaning” after a staffer at the high school reported that they were possibly exposed to the coronavirus.
“The staff member that was potentially exposed to the coronavirus is employed at the high school,” Superintendent Joan Landers said in a letter that was sent out to the community. “Out of an abundance of caution and with the health and welfare of our students and staff in mind, I am canceling school and all school events, including parent-teacher conferences, effective immediately.”
Landers wrote that she will send out phone messages on Friday to update the community on when schools will reopen.
MALDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
All public schools in the city of Malden will be closed beginning March 13 until further notice.
“The decision to close schools is not one that we take lightly,” Superintendent John Oteri said. “We understand this is an extremely difficult situation for families to face. However, we believe these steps are necessary given the information we have gathered from local and state experts over the past few days.”
NATICK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
All Natick Public Schools will be closed from March 13 through March 20 with the possibility to extend the closure until March 27, according to a letter on the district’s website.
“This is an unprecedented public health situation that is rapidly changing. Our hope is that if we all work together, we can reduce the spread of this virus, protect our most vulnerable residents, and resume normal activities in a week or two,” the statement read.
WESTWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
After speaking with health officials, Westwood Public School officials opted to close schools from Friday, March 13th through Friday, March 20th due to coronavirus concerns.
All extracurricular activities and athletics will also be suspended.
BROCKTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The Brockton mayor and school superintendent announced Thursday that schools would be closed from March 13 until March 27 to allow for a deep clean of all hard surfaces as a preventative measure.
“We felt closing all schools was necessary to ensure the health and safety of our more than 17,000 students and staff members,” Superintendent Thomas said.
FRAMINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Framingham Public Schools closed early on Wednesday after a resident who has a child in Potter Road Elementary School received a presumptive positive coronavirus diagnosis.
“As always, the safety, health, and security of our students is our top priority,” Superintendent Robert A. Tramblay said in a statement.
The schools will be cleaned during the closure.
BILLERICA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Billerica Public Schools announced Thursday that they will be closed on March 13 to reassess their future response to the coronavirus outbreak.
There are no presumptive nor confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the town and the closure is being done out of an abundance of caution, according to school officials in a series of posts on the district’s Twitter page.
BURLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Burlington Public Schools announced that they will be closed on March 13 through March 27 to safeguard against the spread of the coronavirus.
BEDFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Bedford Public Schools announced that they will be closed on March 13 through March 27 to safeguard against the spread of the coronavirus.
BELMONT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Belmont Public Schools announced that they will be closed on March 13 through March 27 to safeguard against the spread of the coronavirus.
LEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Lexington Public Schools announced that they will be closed on March 13 through March 27 to safeguard against the spread of the coronavirus.
WOBURN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Woburn Public Schools announced that they will be closed on March 13 through March 27 to safeguard against the spread of the coronavirus.
WINCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Winchester Public Schools announced that they will be closed on March 13 through March 27 to safeguard against the spread of the coronavirus.
XAVERIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL
Xaverian school officials announced on Twitter Thursday that they will be closed on March 13 to give faculty and staff time to prepare to transition to remote learning methods should the need arise.
There are no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus within the school community, according to officials.
ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Arlington Public Schools will be closed for at least two weeks beginning March 13 as town officials grapple with how to address the growing coronavirus outbreak.
The school will be providing work packets and other learning tools to students.
“We have met as a team every day since this crisis started, and we believe that, at this time, this is the right decision for the overall safety and well-being of all our students, faculty and staff, and nothing is more important than that,” said Superintendent Kathleen Bodie.
Schools are set to reopen on March 30.
GREATER LAWRENCE TECHNICAL SCHOOL
Superintendent John Lavoie announced Thursday that the school will close next week out of an abundance of caution.
In an effort to reduce the risk of the novel coronavirus, schools will open on March 13 after a three-hour delay.
At this time, no confirmed nor presumptive positive cases have been identified within the school community, Lavoie confirmed.
Instruction will be moved online for the week of March 16 to the 20.
All adult lessons and after school activities have been canceled.
NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
All Norfolk Public Schools will be closed on Friday, March 13 out of an abundance of caution amid the coronavirus outbreak.
A decision will be made regarding the coming weeks and what needs to be done to limit the spread while custodians disinfect and sanitize the building.
“The health and well-being of our students and staff remains our top priority and we believe the decision to close schools tomorrow will not only allow for a deep cleaning of both schools, but will give us more time consider what course of action to take going forward as more and more school districts in Massachusetts cancel school throughout the rest of the month,” Superintendent Allardi said.
ABINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
All Abington Public Schools will be closed on Friday March 13 after rumors that a resident with children in the school system was exposed to the novel coronavirus.
During the closure, the school will undergo a deep cleaning process, according to a release issued by Superintendent Peter Schafer.
This decision was made in consultation with town health officials.
NEEDHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Needham Public Schools announced Thursday that they will be closed for two weeks starting March 13 due to coronavirus concerns.
This decision was reached by consulting with public health officials and school staff.
The Superintendent said more information would be sent out to parents via email.
BRAINTREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Braintree Public Schools will be closed for the next two weeks, beginning on Friday, March 13 with an anticipated re-opening of Monday, March 30 as the community grapples with spreading coronavirus concerns.
Town health officials are set to provide an update on their plans to monitor the issue on Sunday and from there, school officials said they would make a decision on whether or not to reopen.
METHUEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Methuen Public Schools will be closed on Saturday, March 14, along with all buildings, facilities, rentals, athletics, clubs, activities and field trips, until Sunday, March 29, according to Superintendent Brandi Kwong.
COHASSET PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Cohasset Public Schools will be closed on Monday, March 16 in an abundance of caution, and in an effort to promote mitigation strategies during this health crisis, and may reopen on Monday, March 30.
NORTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Norton Public Schools will be closed on Monday, March 16 through at least Friday, March 27 as a precautionary measure.
NORWELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Norwell Public Schools will be closed on Monday, March 16 through Friday March 27th.
WILMINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Wilmington Public Schools will be closed on Monday, March 16 through at least Friday, March 27th.
LAWRENCE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Lawrence Public Schools will be closed on Monday, March 16 for two weeks in coordination with neighboring school districts due to regional impacts of COVID-19.
FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Franklin Public Schools will be closed on Friday, March 13 for approximately two weeks, likely to reopen on Monday, March 30.
CANTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Canton Public Schools will be closed on Friday, March 13 until Monday, March 23 as a cautious and proactive measure, there are no confirmed or presumptive cases of the COVID-19 in Canton.
DANVERS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Danvers Public Schools has decided to close on Friday, March 13 in conjunction with the other North Shore Superintendents for two weeks through March 27.
SPENCER-EAST BROOKFIELD REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Spencer-East Brookfield Regional schools will be closed on Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20 in order to allow for our custodial staff to deep clean buildings.
WRENTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Wrentham Public Schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27.
PLAINVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Plainville Public Schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27.
KING PHILIP REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
King Philip Regional School District will be closed for the next two weeks out of an abundance of caution in an effort to reduce the risk of the novel coronavirus.
LYNN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Lynn Public Schools will be closed until Friday, March 27 out of an abundance of caution, in order to prevent contraction and spread of the virus. There are currently no cases of COVID-19 in Lynn.
REVERE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Revere Public Schools will be closed on Friday, March 13 until further notice. Although no member of the school community has tested positive for coronavirus, trends
across the state led the district to close all schools as a proactive measure.
GREATER LOWELL TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
Greater Lowell Techincal High School will be closed after the school day ends on Friday, March 13 through at least Friday, March 27 as a precaution against the rapidly spreading COVID-19 illness.
ANDOVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Andover Public Schools will be closed on Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27 as a way to take a more proactive approach to containment of the spread of coronavirus.
QUINCY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Quincy Public Schools will be closed for the next two weeks with an anticipated re-opening on Monday, March 30 with the goal to protect the community although the risk remains low in Massachusetts.
STONEHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Stoneham Public Schools will be closed on Friday, March 13 for two weeks and will remain closed through Friday, March 27 due to the ongoing nationwide novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation.
WORCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Worcester Public Schools will be closed until at least Monday, April 6 as the district takes proactive steps to protect students and staff during the coronavirus pandemic to prevent community spread of the virus.
BLACKSTONE-MILLVILLE REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Blackstone-Millville Regional schools will be closed on Monday, March 16 for a period of two weeks, through Friday, March 27.
WALTHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Waltham Public Schools will be closed on Friday, March 16 as a precautionary measure due to the evolving novel coronavirus COVID-19 situation.
TEWKSBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Tewksbury Public Schools will be closed on Friday, March 13 through Friday, March 27.
DUDLEY-CHARLTON REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Dudley-Charlton Regional School District will be closed through Friday, March 27.
Bay Path Vocational School will be closed the week of March 16.
SHARON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Sharon Public School will be closed on Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27.
WEYMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Weymouth Public Schools has announced that classes and all school activities will be cancelled.
NORWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Norwood Public Schools will be closed on March 16 through at least March 20 due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
NORTH SHORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
North Shore Superintendents from the following schools have made the decision to close for two weeks through Friday, March 27:
AMESBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BEVERLY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CHELSEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ESSEX NORTH SHORE AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL SCHOOL
GEORGETOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
GLOUCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HAMILTON-WENHAM REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
HAVERHILL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
IPSWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
LYNNFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
MANCHESTER ESSEX REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
MARBLEHEAD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
MASCONOMET PUBLIC SCHOOLS
including middle and high schools in Boxford, Middleton and Topsfield.
NAHANT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
NEWBURYPORT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PENTUCKET REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
including Groveland, West Newbury and Merrimac.
ROCKPORT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SAUGUS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SWAMPSCOTT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
TRITON REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
including Newbury, Rowley and Salisbury.
TRI-TOWN SCHOOL UNION
including elementary schools in Boxford, Middleton and Topsfield.
WAKEFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
WHITTIER REGIONAL VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
WINTHROP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
To view additional closures, click here.
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