Here is a look at what some area schools are doing to limit exposure to COVID-19, also called the coronavirus.
School is canceled Friday so the building can be disinfected.
Franklin Tech administrators learned Thursday afternoon that a student has a family member who may have been exposed to the coronavirus.
The family is waiting on test results, but so far there are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the Franklin Tech community, according to Superintendent Rick Martin. The decision to close and disinfect the school building was made at the advice of the Montague Health Department, Martin said.
“We as a school district do not want to be in a situation where we had knowledge of a potential exposure, and we decided not to dismiss or close school,” Martin said.
The student’s mother called to say that a member of the immediate family had recently been in an area now known to have cases of the coronavirus, and has since shown flu-like symptoms.
Franklin Tech plans to re-open Monday, Martin said, but plans could change depending on the results of the test.
Students at NMH will have their spring break extend through Sunday, March 29, according to a press release from the school.
Following the spring break, students will not be returning to campus. Rather “remote learning will continue as long as it is required to limit the potential for COVID-19 exposure,” according to the release. The current plan calls for students to return to campus on Sunday, April 12, and on-campus activities are scheduled to resume on Monday, April 13.
“While we do not have any cases of COVID-19 on campus, the state of emergency announced by the commonwealth of Massachusetts this week triggered a more robust response at the state level,” the release reads. “The goals of NMH’s adjusted academic plan are to ensure that we deliver our educational program in as safe an environment as possible, to reduce the population density on campus, and to return to our regular operations as soon as possible.”
Pioneer Superintendent Jonathan Scagel sent a letter to district families Wednesday, alerting them to proactive measures being take to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Scagel said decisions to cancel school events and travel were made on recommendation from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and in consultation with school physician Dr. Ruth Potee.
“Our district continues to develop our emergency response plan to include the possibility of educating our students remotely,” Scagel wrote in the letter.
On Thursday, Scagel said there is a good chance the district’s schools will be closed temporarily. A conference call will be held with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and superintendents statewide on Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. to further district health safety plans.
“The information is changing, literally, by the minute,” Scagel said Thursday afternoon. “We need to keep everyone’s safety in mind.”
If families are unsure when to keep children home from school, or have general questions regarding the coronavirus outbreak, they should contact the school nurse for assistance and guidance.
Darius Modestow, superintendent of Frontier Regional and Union 38 school districts, said he is aware of rumors circulating about suspected and confirmed cases in his student population, but that, as of 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, there were no confirmed or presumptive cases of COVID-19.
“We are working closely with the public health departments to react responsibly to the ongoing and changing COVID-19 situation,” he said in an email.