What To Know About North Andover's School Safety Reopening Plan

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — North Andover Public School's shared the district's COVID-19 protocols for reopening schools ahead of the first day Wednesday.

Yes, masks are still required inside for all students, faculty, staff and visitors, at least until Oct. 1. But there's plenty of changes to last year's pandemic safety measures parents need to be aware of, before North Andover students return to the classroom.

The biggest changes are there are no more physical distancing requirements or hybrid classes this year. Students are in-person, five days a week.

>>Read the district reference guide.

The COVID-19 exposure protocol is also a lot more relaxed than the previous school year. Students who test positive for the virus will still need to isolate, but the rules for quarantining have changed significantly.

Where the changes come is in how close contacts are defined. With masking in place, students are only considered classroom close contacts if they were less than 3 feet from someone who tests positive for 15 minutes or more.

If a student is vaccinated and asymptomatic, they aren't required to quarantine or get tested. The same applies to close contacts on a bus with the windows open and close contacts who recovered from the virus in the last 90 days.

Even other close contacts can avoid quarantine through the "Test and Stay" program. Students who enroll in the program can get tested at school using the BinaxNOW rapid antigen nasal swab test. If they are asymptomatic and test negative, they can stay in school.

Unvaccinated students who have some symptoms can also stay in school if they test negative for the virus and have only minor or isolated symptoms, under the Symptomatic Testing program.

Bus transportation

Buses will once again be running at full capacity. Social distancing isn't required on school buses, but per federal mandate, all the windows still need to be open.

Masks are also still required, but close contact protocol doesn't apply to students when riding the bus.

When will the mask mandate be lifted?

The mask mandate is in place until at least Oct. 1. After that point, the state mandate will be lifted for middle and high schools that have at least an 80 percent vaccination rate for both students and staff. The district would have the option to keep a mandate in place.

Over 70 percent of North Andover high school students are fully vaccinated, according to the district's reference guide.

Elementary school students, who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, will stay masked after Oct. 1.