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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — On Friday, Cambridge Public Schools announced that they will be delaying students' return to school until Wednesday, January 5, with the prior Monday and Tuesday used as days for COVID-19 testing.
"The fast-spreading Omicron variant has caused a significant rise in COVID cases, supply chain shortages, challenges for families/staff accessing testing appointments, and information about likely staff shortages next week, therefore, we believe that delaying the return to school is in the best interest of our school community," CPS Interim Superintendent Dr. Victoria Greer wrote in a statement.
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According to Greer, the decision to extend the holiday break came as a plan to have students test on Monday, receive their results on Tuesday, and then finally return to in-person learning on Wednesday with the hope there will be as little quarantining as possible later in the month. CPS secured enough COVID-19 tests for both students and faculty.
The CPS said that testing will be conducted Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and that appointments are not required at all locations in Peabody, King Open, Morse, and CRLS.
"I'm happy to be in a community where we all work together in concert to make sure the students are taken care of," said King Open Principal Darrell Williams. But Williams said that some unhappy parents have been vocal about the CPS' decision, to which he said those opinions are valid and important to hear.
The decision arrived as a contradiction to Massachusetts' decision to have students return to school Monday.
WBZ's Matt Shearer (@MattWBZ) reports.
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