March 28, 2024

Seekonk High School Closed Due to Covid-19

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Seekonk High School will be transitioning to fully remote learning for the next two weeks after five cases of Covid-19 were reported. Superintendent Rich Drolet announced Monday that there had been three new positive cases of COVID-19 at the high school, following two other cases that were reported to the district on November 13. Students will return to hybrid learning on November 30. To date, Seekonk Public Schools has had 16 total positive COVID-19 cases since the first positive case was reported on October 25 at Aitken Elementary School.

Drolet noted the district would have a tough time instituting full in-person learning, even if the town wasn’t in the red zone. Cities and towns with the highest rate of positive Covid-19 cases are designated red. “Districts and schools designated in the green, grey, and yellow according to the Department of Education, are supposed to have full in-person learning,” Drolet said. “I think that would be difficult for us with trying to keep six feet of distance. That’s challenging now in our hybrid model. Bringing all students back and trying to keep that distance would be very challenging, if not impossible.”

School committee chairperson Kim Sluter said she was “grateful” to the teachers and administrators who allowed the district to begin the school year with a hybrid learning model. “I think it puts us in a better position than the districts that phased in or are only just starting in-person now and having surges (in cases),” Sluter said. “I think we’ve done a really good job really setting the bar high. Any cases that we do have in our district are not transmitted from clusters in our schools. (Covid-19) is not being spread (in the schools) as a super-spreader. I think it’s benefitted our students significantly.”

“I just think it’s important to know the pressure being put on us by the state, the Governor, the Department of Education also to continue with and prioritize in-person learning when our rates are going up exponentially,” Drolet added.



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