The Curley K-8 School in Jamaica Plain will continue its 10-day closure in the face of a coronavirus outbreak, Boston officials say, going against the wishes of Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeff Riley, who’d asked that students and staff return earlier.
At least 46 people at the school tested positive for coronavirus from Oct. 22 to Nov. 7 across 21 different classrooms. That prompted the Boston Public Health Commission to shut the school down, causing a switch to remote learning.
The school closed on Wednesday and was set to reopen on Nov. 22 — but that garnered pushback from Riley, who appeared to chastise the district on Friday for closing the school without appropriate consultation with DESE.
In a letter to school officials, Riley said he wouldn’t count all the remote learning days towards the yearly 180 school day requirement, suggesting that students and staff return on Nov. 17 or risk having to make up three days.
In the ongoing back and forth between Riley and BPS, Superintendent Brenda Cassellius and Boston Public Health Commission Executive Director Dr. Bisola Ojikutu wrote in a letter on Saturday that they’re sticking with a 10-day closure.
“If you still feel strongly that you will not count the additional 3 days in the 180 days required, we have no doubt the school community and our union partners will rally for our students and we will figure out how best to make up the time,” Cassellius and Ojikutu wrote.
Riley had also asked that BPS set up a testing program on Sunday to prepare for the school’s reopening, which Cassellius pushed back on, saying that even with help from the state, Riley’s proposal doesn’t take into account the size and complexities of the school that has upward of 1,000 students.
“Even if we could get our students to a testing site, CIC’s turn-around time for PCR testing results has typically been 36 to 48 hours. This would potentially not be enough time for the students and staff to safely return Wednesday,” read the letter to Riley, mentioning CIC Health, which provides testing for the state.
Cassellius made one final jab about testing, saying that even with rapid tests, there is no way to control for a student who was not tested and is unknowingly positive for coronavirus.
The letter writers wrote and underlined, “We do not want to put potential COVID positive students on a bus, and endanger our students, bus drivers and monitors.”
CIC Health will provide testing for students and staff on Monday and Tuesday, and deep cleaning of the building will also take place along with a vaccine clinic for students and staff.
Curley School families have struggled to keep up with all the changes, with parent Robert Orthman saying, “The whiplash has been a lot.”Many parents had to find quick solutions to adjust to remote schooling and may have to adjust again to make up the additional days.
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