Andover Schools Report Over 300 Cases This Week, 124 At AHS
ANDOVER, MA — Andover Public Schools has reported over 300 coronavirus cases among students and staff in the first three days back from the winter break, according to the district dashboard on Wednesday.
Most of the cases are among students, district spokesperson Nicole Kieser said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there have been 309 cases in the district since Saturday, with 124 of them at the high school. Forty-seven were added to the tally Wednesday.
High Plain Elementary and Wood Hill Middle School have also reported over 30 cases so far this week.
"These numbers are similar to what other districts in Massachusetts have experienced since returning from winter break," Nicole Kieser said. "The number of cases is vastly student-based, and we are adequately staffed so we can continue to operate accordingly."
The state is requiring in-person learning this school year, Kieser noted, but "the district will continue to evaluate and implement any measures to maintain student and staff safety and in-person learning," she said.
"We thank our educators for their commitment to our students," Kieser said.
>>'School Is Safe': Gov. Baker Says Remote Learning Not An Option
While Andover has not suffered from severe staff shortages, and fears about bus delays Monday did not come to pass, the virus is still resulting in student absences, as it is across the state. In Boston, more than a quarter of students have been absent this week, the Boston Globe reported.
Student absences come from both people quarantining and isolating and families hoping to wait out the omicron surge at home. Andover parent Joyce Lee said she did not feel comfortable sending her kids to school post-winter break, even though both her kids are fully vaccinated.
Lee cited the letter the district sent to parents on New Year's Eve, which described delays in the state's promised delivery of coronavirus tests. The letter also noted rising cases and some districts delaying or canceling school Monday.
"This means, they already knew that it could be dangerous at school after winter break saying other school districts would close due to covid safety reasons," Lee said. "As a parent, I could not send my kids to school where even school staff are not sure about current safety at school."
"It's nonsense if you put your kids in a school, or make teachers work, in a building with 120 positive cases," Lee added. "If the school district could not provide a clear reinforced safety protocol, my kids will stay home this whole week."
Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.
This article originally appeared on the Andover Patch
