'It's going to be a crazy month': South Shore schools fighting COVID in the classroom

QUINCY – Local schools are struggling with staffing shortages and student absences as COVID cases continue to rise following the holiday break.

Weymouth High School was forced to cancel Wednesday classes due to a lack of staff, and Quincy schools sent a letter to parents explaining that the "sharp increase" has made it impossible for nursing staff to individually call families whose students have been in close contact with someone testing positive for the virus.

When Quincy schools reopened Monday, there were 258 student cases and 41 staff cases reported. The district reported another 216 student cases and 35 staff cases combined on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Superintendent Kevin Mulvey said the district was anticipating a spike in COVID cases, but wasn't sure how "extensive" it would be.

"Monday coming back was certainly a challenge," he said, adding that 54 staff members were out Monday, 75 Tuesday and 49 Wednesday. "Across the state there is a sub shortage, I think a lot of people don't want to come in due to COVID. This year, in particular, our sub lines have been short."

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He said the district has increased pay for substitutes and they sometimes have to pull staff from the superintendent's office or math and literacy specialists to fill in for absent teachers. Several study hall classes had to be combined in the auditorium due to staffing and space concerns.

"We see it leveling out even over the last few days," Mulvey said Thursday.

In Weymouth on Thursday, nearly 25% of students were out sick.

As of Wednesday in Duxbury, 220 active cases were reported between students and staff, which is 10 times higher than case numbers reported in December.

"Although alarming, the numbers are in line with what we predicted based on what we knew about the highly contagious omicron variant and the fact that we are in the same post-holiday time period when we saw the most positive cases last year," Danielle Klingaman, interim Duxbury superintendent, said in an email to families. "We are extremely concerned about the high numbers."

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Klingaman, who would only respond to questions from The Patriot Ledger via email, wrote that they are handling the surge in cases "the same way we have been all along" and that contact tracing is extremely challenging and time consuming.

If the schools have to shut down for lack of staff or too many cases, there are no plans for virtual classes and they will have to be made up at the end of the school year, she wrote in the email.

"Like all school districts, we are worried about our ability to keep the schools open due to staffing shortages, but we are hopeful that this will be a quick spike and then settle back into more manageable numbers," she said in the email.

In Milton, Superintendent James Jette reported a total of 231 positive cases among students and 72 among staff as of Wednesday. The district canceled school Friday, citing inclement weather. He said 90% of faculty and staff are vaccinated and that more than 80% of students are vaccinated in grades 7 through 12.

"Despite record absences of staff and students, winter weather and colder temperatures and anxiety felt by some, we have been able to maintain in person learning," Jette said in his weekly update to families.

Earlier this week, Quincy students posted an online petition with more than 500 signatures asking for an option to attend classes remotely amid the surge. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has said districts cannot offer remote learning, even temporarily, without permission from the state.

Mayor Thomas Koch, who chairs the Quincy School Committee, said Monday he would likely not support a switch to remote learning even if it was an option.

"I think the kids should be in school," Koch said. "It's going to be a crazy month, there is no question about it. It has already been a crazy month with the holidays, but luckily we aren't seeing the severe illness we were seeing before."

Several students spoke to The Patriot Ledger about their fears of catching COVID in school.

"When COVID first started, there was one case and schools were closed for months. Now, 20 students are being called to the nurse's office between every class and we're still here. I just don't understand where they're coming from," Arlene Duza, a senior at Quincy High School, said.

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Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Rising COVID cases burdening South Shore schools after winter break