Andover Public Schools To Go Remote To Close Out 2020

ANDOVER, MA — Andover Public Schools will go remote Monday for the remaining of 2020, with some students not returning to classrooms for three weeks, Superintendent Sheldon Berman said.

Berman cited "the increase in positive cases within the Andover community, operational and staffing challenges and ... guidance from the Andover Health Division and our APS Nursing staff" as reasons for the change.

Andover was again designated high risk by the state Thursday, after adding 288 coronavirus cases over two weeks and recording a 5.98 percent positive test rate. As of Thursday, the town reported 159 active cases.

The school district reported 47 cases Thursday. The high school had the most, with 16 cases, followed by Sanborn Elementary with seven and West Middle School with six. There are also six cases at the remote academy. Only two schools, Bancroft Elementary and Shawsheen Preschool, did not report any cases.

Remote learning will begin Monday and continue on Jan. 4, after the district's winter break, for most students.

"Some cohort C students may return to in-person learning beginning January 4, 2021," Berman said. "We anticipate that students in cohorts A & B can return to their buildings the week of Monday, January 11, 2021."

Having a remote week post-holiday is meant to prevent holiday-related infections spreading in the district.

"We saw an increase in positive cases following the Thanksgiving holiday break, and by making the decision to move to remote learning following the winter break allows the district an opportunity to reset from potential positive cases that have emerged over the holidays," Berman said. "This will also allow our nursing staff to follow-up as much as possible in the instance that positive cases develop over the winter recess, therefore reducing the risk of transmission in school."

Full details on the remote learning schedule are available here.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.