Updated 2 pm
Even as six new COVID-19 cases were reported in Island schools, bringing the total number of confirmed school cases to 10, more students are being welcomed back into Island classrooms.
On Nov. 5, the first confirmed case in the school system was reported, and a letter issued by superintendent Matt D’Andrea was sent to families asking them to comply with the boards of health and continue to follow mitigation protocols to prevent spread.
The following day, on Nov. 6, a letter from D’Andrea to families stated that there had been a confirmed COVID case at the Tisbury School. This letter also urged families to keep their kids at home if they are symptomatic, and to diligently fill out the COVID questionnaire before school each morning.
On Nov. 8, a second case was confirmed at the Tisbury School, according to a letter from D’Andrea to parents. The letter read that school officials “are confident that in both cases [at the Tisbury School] transmission has occurred outside of school.”
The next day, on Nov. 9, the Edgartown School community was notified by D’Andrea via a letter that there was a case confirmed within the school population, and a prior plan to bring more students back to school in a hybrid education model on Nov. 10 was postponed out of “an abundance of caution,” the letter reads.
Then, on Nov. 12, D’Andrea issued a letter announcing six additional cases of COVID reported from Island schools, including three confirmed cases at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, two additional cases at the Edgartown School, and one additional case at the Tisbury School.
As with prior letters, D’Andrea wrote in the announcement that school and health officials are “confident that in each of these cases, transmission has occurred outside of school.”
The letter states that Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools (MVYPS) is sending out regular notifications on developing issues in order to be “open and transparent about the virus and its impact on the schools.”
Despite the rise in cases within the school system, D’Andrea wrote that schools are “not a contributor” to the uptick. He wrote that he has received a number of inquiries about slowing down the return plan or returning to a fully remote model, but stressed that “none of the student or staff cases we have identified in the schools have been contracted in the school setting.”
“While it is concerning that the Island is experiencing community spread of the virus, the schools are not a contributor to this spread,” the letter reads. “This is because schools are strictly adhering to safety measures to minimize the possibility of transmission, measures that include masking, social distancing, and hand washing. Our schools are very safe thanks to the good work of our staff and students.”
D’Andrea wrote that, if schools do encounter in-school spread, officials will take the necessary action and consult with the health and safety committee, along with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to determine next steps.
“This may involve shifting the affected classroom or school to fully remote, while mitigation strategies are implemented,” according to the letter.
During this time, D’Andrea said officials are meeting frequently with the MVYPS health and safety committee — consisting of school nurses, school physicians, and the local boards of health, to discuss the developing situation on the Island and how it affects education.
The letter includes a link to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) website, which outlines guidance on interpreting state health metrics in relation to schools.
In the guidance, DESE states that there is a “growing body of evidence” showing that students should remain in school, even with increased community spread.
“With numerous examples of schools reopening from around the world, across the country, and recent first-hand experience here in Massachusetts, it is increasingly clear that schools are not sources of significant COVID transmission, so long as proper health and safety protocols are followed,” the guidance reads.
“This has held true in Massachusetts even as we have seen an uptick in COVID-19 cases statewide, further indicating that with strong health and safety protocols, schools are able to operate safely for in-person learning.” The guidance also points out the “significant harm” that keeping kids out of school can cause, in terms of academic progress, socioemotional, and physical health.
D’Andrea’s comments were backed up by Gov. Charlie Baker at a press briefing with reporters Friday where he reiterated his strong support for having kids return to classrooms instead of remote learning. Baker, who visited a school in Carlisle Thursday, said despite the uptick in cases in Massachusetts, he supports getting students back in front of teachers. He said the transmission rate in schools has proven to be low. “It was a vivid reminder to me of what in-person education means for kids,” Baker said. “Younger kids with visual aids, and a teacher and an aide, walking the room — very distanced, everyone wearing a mask… But you watch that in-person learning experience and the first thing I’m reminded of is what we’ve lost on behalf of so many children in Massachusetts since this whole thing started last March.”
The guidance continues that communities designated as the highest risk should implement hybrid learning models, and only switch to fully-remote learning as a last resort.
Edgartown School teacher Connie Leuenberger told The Times she thinks it is time to start considering what the impact of bringing more students back into the building could be.
She wondered how the schools are determining whether spread is occurring in-school, and asked for increased transparency regarding some of these issues.
For her and other teachers, Leuenberger said the idea of bringing kids back to school when there is such a drastic COVID incidence in the educational community “is pretty stressful, and sometimes scary.”
Apart from mitigating spread within schools, Leuenberger said the entire cohort approach to education is pointless if students are commingling outside of the classroom at sleepovers, parties, and playdates.
“If we want to stay in school, it is going to take the part of the entire community to stay home and take this seriously,” Leuenberger said. “What are we doing outside of school to keep our school community safe?”
For Leuenberger, who has been a teacher at the Edgartown School for many years, she said she will do anything for her students, but the current situation is putting immense stress on educators.
“You try not to think about it too much, but when you know it is getting closer and closer to you, your classroom, and your family, it gets much more real,” Leuenberger said.
Updated to include comments from Gov. Baker.