Acton-Boxborough Coronavirus: Schools Closed Friday, Next Week

ACTON-BOXBOROUGH, MA — Acton-Boxborough Regional Schools announced Thursday it is closing all its campuses from March 13 through 20 in response to an ongoing outbreak of the new coronavirus.

The closure also applies to students who are attending out-of-district schools as well as those involved in extracurricular activities, extended before/after school care, athletics, clubs and other uses of school buildings, the school district said in a statement.

At this time, there are no presumptive or confirmed cases in Acton or Boxborough.

During the school closure ABRSD officials urge students and their parents to avoid meeting in large groups and to practice social distancing as recommended by the CDC.

School and health officials will continue to monitor the spread of the COVID-19 virus during school closures and will continue to update students and parents, the district said.

"We will make a decision about whether we need to extend the March 13th-March 20th closure for a longer period of time no later than Friday, March 20th, and we will communicate that to families as soon as possible," school leadership wrote in the statement.

Regardless of the length of the closure, the district said the last day of the school year for all students will remain June 23.

While schools are closed, educators will meet to develop remote lesson plans and activities that students can access from home both with and without mobile devices. Meanwhile, custodial crews will clean and disinfect all schools, and school offices will remain open on Friday, March 13, for families that need to collect materials.

"We recognize that this is unprecedented and that this closure will be a significant burden for a number of our families," school officials stated. "Please know that we remain committed to supporting you to the greatest extent possible during this time."