North Shore Schools Weigh Coronavirus Test Shift: Patch Sunday

SALEM, MA — A dramatic change in state guidance that shifts much of the student coronavirus testing burden from schools to individual families is forcing North Shore districts to make a call of whether to largely abandon many of the testing protocols they have spent more than a year implementing and fine-tuning.

Under the new guidance, the state is making at-home rapid tests available weekly to districts for students and staff, while recommending that they discontinue the contact tracing and test-and-stay programs that have been widely praised for keeping in-school transmission relatively low but are also heavily taxing on school nurses' offices.

The state is making the decision whether to make the switch optional, at least for now, for districts with the choice having far-reaching consequences on how the virus will be mitigated in schools as the omicron spike wanes and districts enter the third year of pandemic response.

This week, Patch spoke with Salem's Dr. Kristin Pangallo about the pros and cons of the state's new guidance.

Read about that, and any other North Shore stories you may have missed, in this edition of Patch Sunday:

New MA School Coronavirus Guidance Put To Test In Salem

As a Salem State professor, Salem School Committee member and mother of two children in Salem Public Schools, it could be difficult to find anyone on the North Shore more invested in school coronavirus testing and mitigation protocols than Dr.Kristin Pangallo.

Yet, three days after the state rolled out its new guidance for school virus testing that involves sending home rapid tests weekly in place of school contact tracing and the current "test-to-stay" in-school testing program, Pangallo was torn on whether the district should opt in to the new model.

"It's kind of complex, honestly," Pangallo told Patch Friday afternoon. "We've been talking a lot about it and trying to figure out if it's a good fit for us."

New MA COVID Guidance May Force Schools Into Tough Testing Call

Like most other state directives over the past 18 months or so, districts were largely caught off guard with the new state guidelines, which on the surface provide free, much-sought-after at-home tests, but also appear to lay the groundwork for a post-omicron shift where the responsibility of determining whether a student is healthy enough to go to school falls more on families than the district and school nurses.

MA Shifts Student Coronavirus Test Burden From Schools To Homes

The state will begin shifting the responsibility of coronavirus testing from schools to families as part of its plan to send students and staff home with rapid tests weekly starting Jan. 31.

Late Peabody High Alumna Leaves More Than $1 Million To Schools

A Peabody Veterans Memorial High School alumna who passed away two years ago left more than $1 million to Peabody Public Schools as part of donating her entire estate to nonprofits and charitable organizations.

Dr. Ruth Shoer Rappaport, a 1953 PVMS graduate who died on April 28, 2020, had no surviving immediate family members.

Rep. Lori Ehrlich Tabbed For FEMA Regional Director

There will be an open state representative seat in the 8th Essex District after President Joe Biden named Rep. Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead) as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Region Director.

Salem Offers $500 To Employees In Vaccine-Proof Order Businesses

Employees who work in businesses covered under Salem's new vaccination=proof entry order could be in line for a $500 bonus if they stick it out for at least six weeks.

Beverly's Black Lives Matter Mural To Relocate To Library

A Black Lives Matter mural created by Amanda Beard Garcia as part of the Beverly Main Streets revolving artist program will be unveiled at the Beverly Public Library next month where it will remain as a public display.

Beverly Main Streets donated the banner that Garcia created as a statement following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020.

Salem 12-Year-Old Returns Home After Family Coronavirus Ordeal

Nearly two months after Salem 12-year-old Mikayla DeCelle was hospitalized as the coronavirus swept through her family, she was released from Spaulding Rehabilitation and headed home this week.

Swampcott Select Board Slams Housing Project Proposal

A 160-unit apartment complex proposed for Foster Road in Swampscott drew harsh criticism from the Select Board and residents during a special meeting Wednesday night and, once again, highlighted the struggles the town faces with developers looking to build using the state's Chapter 40B affordable housing statute.

Essex Tech Accepts Largest Donation In School History

The largest donation in Essex Tech history will go toward supporting several of the school's career pathways and buying the most up-to-date equipment at the North Shore school.

Superintendent Heidi Riccio said the $340,000 donation came from someone who wishes to remain anonymous.

Peabody Institute Library To Host Weekly Vaccination Clinics

A trip to pick up that new book or magazine could now also include a coronavirus vaccination at the Peabody Institute Library.

Beverly Hockey Coach Resigns After On-Ice Altercation

Beverly High boys hockey coach Greg Fonzi resigned from his post on Tuesday following an on-ice altercation in a postgame handshake line.

Salem State Begins Spring Semester With Remote Classes

While classes were back in session at Salem State University this week the classrooms on campus were empty.

The school will hold all classes online through at least Jan. 30 amid the omicron spike in coronavirus cases.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

This article originally appeared on the Salem Patch