Know Before You Go: Heading Back to Public Schools in Massachusetts

HYDE, ENGLAND - JULY 16: Spare face masks are seen on a teachers desk as a classroom is set out for social distancing at Longdendale High School on July 16, 2020 in Hyde, England. The Government plan to spend GBP 1 billion to help pupils catch up with their education before September after spending months out of school during the coronavirus lockdown. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

As time continues to tick, many Massachusetts parents are still wondering if their child’s school will open and how that will look as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Many worry as it could take one child to infect a classroom full of others.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education just released a 19 page document outlining protocols. It answers such questions as:

· What should a district do if there is a symptomatic individual – at home, on the bus, or at school?

· What should a district do if someone in the school community tests positive for COVID-19 – be it a student, teacher, staff, or bus driver, or one of their household members or close contacts?

· Who should get tested for COVID-19 and when?

· In what circumstances would someone need to quarantine (when they have been exposed but are not sick) or isolate (when they are sick)?

· What should school districts do to monitor COVID-19 spread in their communities?

Learn more about Massachusetts guidelines in the event of a school outbreak.