Starting Monday, Saugus Public Schools will close through at least March 27 as a precaution to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.
Superintendent David DeRuosi made the announcement Friday in a series of statements to parents and faculty.
“As you are well aware, the ongoing COVID-19 situation is prompting long-term school closings not only in Massachusetts, but throughout the country,” his statement read. “I am writing to let you know the Saugus Public Schools will be closing for the foreseeable future.”
Residents were initially told school buildings would be closed through at least March 20, but a second statement hours later extended the time frame an extra week.
DeRuosi explained there have been no diagnosed cases of the virus in Saugus and that the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution” in light of a meeting between himself and the Town of Saugus Emergency Planning Team.
“This two-week school closure is consistent with many of our neighboring districts on the North Shore,” he said.
The announcement came one day after DeRuosi told attendees at Saugus’ school committee meeting to prepare for “inevitable” closure in the wake of Governor Charlie Baker’s State of Emergency declaration earlier this week.
Numerous other nearby towns and cities have already announced long-term school closures, including Lynn, Lynnfield, Swampscott, and Burlington.
“In my 32 years (working), this is unprecedented,” DeRuosi said.
School board vice chair Ryan Fisher said he supported the district’s decision.
“Everyone’s on the same page. We’re all watching this happen in real-time together,” he said. “I think it’s very wise to keep people home as much as possible. You don’t want a child going to school, being exposed, and then bringing it home to an elderly grandparent.”
School board member Dennis Gould agreed.
“If we didn’t do it now, we might have been forced to do it from the state anyway,” he said, adding that many students were absent from classes the Friday before closing. “Parents are really nervous about stuff like that, so it made sense to just go ahead and not open Monday.”
According to DeRuosi’s statement, parents and faculty will receive regular updates through Blackboard Connect, social media, and the district’s website, and more information is currently available on the Saugus Public Schools website.
