Teachers Quarantined In Norwalk; School Staffer Has Coronavirus

NORWALK, CT — A staffer at Norwalk's Kendall School has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19), district officials learned over the weekend, resulting in the quarantining of an undisclosed number of teachers for the start of the school year next week.

"Those employees have been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days and to reach out to their health care provider about getting tested," officials wrote on Facebook Sunday night. "Because our schools are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized every night, the building will remain open for all other employees.

"As the quarantine period overlaps with the start of the school year, several Kendall classrooms will have teachers who will work remotely from home for the first few days of school. Substitutes will be in any classroom where teachers are not physically present."

Norwalk Public Schools is scheduled to start under an overall hybrid model on Sept. 8, but elementary school students, including those at Kendall, attending in-person five days a week. Parents have the choice of requesting a remote learning option for their child, regardless of grade level.

The positive test at Kendall marks the second time in two months that Norwalk Public Schools has had to make adjustments on-the-fly due to COVID-19. Over the summer, Norwalk High School was closed for a few days after a staffer tested positive for the coronavirus.

"While Connecticut has been a model for other states in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, we know that the threat from COVID-19 will not go away easily," officials wrote. "Norwalk Public Schools has a thoughtful and thorough plan in place to support our return to in-person instruction, but any plan for 2020-21 will require ongoing patience and flexibility. We will continue to carefully move forward to provide a safe and effective return to school, while keeping the health and safety of our students and staff in mind."