DEDHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Dedham School Committee voted unanimously Wednesday night to delay the start of the in-person learning amid a rise in coronavirus cases.
Officials said the spike is linked to two parties from about two weeks ago that involved mostly high school students and young adults.
"Our schools and educators have been working incredibly hard to ensure that our school buildings are safe and prepared to welcome students back into the classroom. However, with such a significant increase in spread in the community, we need to be cautious and prioritize the safety of our students and staff," Dedham Superintendent Mike Welch said in a statement. "We hope that with the cooperation of the Dedham community, we can get back to a place where we can safely begin offering our students the ability to learn in-person in the classroom."
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School will still begin on Wednesday, September 16 with remote learning. There is currently no date set for in-person learning. It “will depend on the trajectory of the virus in the local Dedham community and continued guidance from the Dedham Board of Health,” the school district said in a statement.
In-person learning was supposed to begin on September 21.
Dedham is one of six Massachusetts communities that are now considered to be at high risk for coronavirus. The other municipalities include Chatham, Lynnfield, Methuen, Monson, and New Bedford. They join Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lynn, Revere, and Winthrop in the state’s high-risk category.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports
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