Nashoba Valley Technical High School Is Mostly Back

WESTFORD MA — Some students at Nashoba Valley Technical High School are going to class outside, but no one is assigned to the football field as some earlier reports indicated, according to the school.

"Over 95 percent of our student population is participating in our hybrid model which includes in-person classes. We have just under 5 precent of our students that have opted for fully remote instruction due to a variety of health and personal reasons," said Superintendent Denise Pigeon.

Chairs and desks are spaced out outside the school for some classes, weather permitting, she said.

"We do not have classes assigned to the football field," said Pigeon. "We have outdoor classroom setups available for use by teachers at their discretion so they can take their classes outside if they so choose for breaks or for instruction if it works with the lesson they are teaching."

During the the first week of school only one student reported testing positive for the coronavirus, according to the superintendent. The following week no one tested positive.

After the superintendent found out that the student tested positive, per the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education protocol, the district coordinated with the Board of Health and conducted a review for potential close contacts.

"We determined that no students or staff were in close contact with this community member while at school and no action was needed," said Pigeon. A close contact is defined by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as being within 6 feet of the affected person for at least 15 minutes while the person was infectious.

"Our first responsibility is to keep our students and staff safe by following our comprehensive plan in place to regularly sanitize the school and to follow all health and safety protocols set forth by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health," said Pigeon. "Our student body and staff have been adhering to the safety protocols including mask wearing, hand washing, and physical distancing. We are grateful to our families for their continued efforts to keep students home at the first sign of symptoms. These measures, taken in combination, greatly reduce the risk of additional transmission."

This article originally appeared on the Westford Patch