• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • Eat
  • Wellesley Square
  • School
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Charities/Community
  • Arts
  • Camp
  • Kids
  • Environment/Sustainability
  • Events
  • About us
  • Subscribe
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Letters to the Editor
  • 2021 Town Election
  • Bulletin Board
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Boston Sports Institute, Wellesley

Wellesley schools readjusting COVID-19 testing plans heading into Thanksgiving

November 16, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Public Schools system up until now has discouraged students and staff from stocking up on COVID-19 viral test kits at home, concerned that not picking them up on a weekly basis might lead to some forgetfulness. But in light of the recent spike in positive cases at the high school and with Thanksgiving break fast approaching, WPS is going to change things up a bit in the short term.

WPS Supt. Dr. David Lussier said during Monday’s Board of Health meeting that the school system will be distributing two kits per person this week, one to be returned next Monday, and another for the Monday following Thanksgiving (students have that day off, teachers have a professional day).

The surveillance testing program is voluntary, though all faculty and staff, and all Middle School and High School students, are being encouraged to participate. About 70% to 80% are getting tested, with some missing out while they quarantine, Lussier said. As a public school system, WPS can’t make the tests mandatory.

The superintendent added that there’s interest in conducting more baseline testing at the high school before classes resume post-Thanksgiving. But this will be a bit complicated logistically, he acknowledges, given families’ holiday plans.

WPS has brokered good discounts with testing partners such as Mirimus so far, and currently has funding for its testing program via the Wellesley Education Foundation that would carry it through winter break. “We’ve got to make some decisions going forward after that,” Lussier said.

In discussing viral testing program funding, Lussier was responding to a question at the meeting from the Advisory Committee’s John Lanza. Lanza and Board of Health members recently discussed funding and other aspects of the viral testing program at another Board of Health meeting, and revisited those questions at this Monday’s meeting with the public school officials available to reply.

Since that earlier meeting, in a very public show of cooperation, Lussier and Wellesley Health Director Lenny Izzo have co-signed letters updating the entire Wellesley community about the positive cases at the high school, which has become a COVID-19 cluster.

Plenty of joint work remains between WPS and the Health Department, as was clear from discussion at this Monday’s meeting about the intricacies of contact tracing within the schools and across communities when WPS staff tests positive. Additional forensic steps will be taken to root out what caused the virus to spread at Wellesley High.

“We have irrefutable evidence that there was transmission in the school despite all the steps we had taken and mitigation efforts,” Lussier said. “It’s really important that we understand as much as we can of what may have been behind some of these cases before we reopen…”


  • Subscribe to Swellesley’s daily email
  • Please consider contributing to Swellesley to sustain our independent journalism venture
print
Share

Filed Under: COVID-19, Wellesley High School

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Linden Square, Wellesley
Write Ahead
Ann-Mara Lanza, Wellesley

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]
Wellesley Square ad
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Admit Fit, Wellesley
image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click here to read our Natick Report

Natick Report

Events Calendar

« February 2021 » loading...
S M T W T F S
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
1
2
3
4
5
6

Most Read Posts

  • "I Care a Lot" movie that filmed in Wellesley making Netflix debut
  • Where to eat in Wellesley, Massachusetts
  • Wellesley summer camp listings 2021 — find the experience of a lifetime
  • Newton-Wellesley Orthopedic Walk-In—no appointment needed
  • Wellesley DPW eyes parks as Green Zones

Pages

  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • How to submit your flyer for the Community Bulletin Board page
  • Wellesley Community Bulletin Board
  • Wellesley coronavirus (COVID-19) updates
  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads
  • Wellesley, Mass., fishing spots
  • Wellesley Choral Society
  • Wellesley College Notable Alumnae
  • Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass.
  • Wellesley outdoor art gallery
  • Wellesley restaurants offering take-out and delivery
  • Wellesley, Massachusetts restaurant — Amarin of Thailand

Recent Comments

  • Donna Ticchi on Letter to the editor: in support of Columbus Day
  • Mary Bowers on Letter to the editor: concerns about denouncing Columbus
  • Donna Ticchi on Letter to the editor: concerns about denouncing Columbus
  • Sophia Bozok on Letter to the editor: in support of Columbus Day
  • Denise Wood on Letter to the editor: concerns about denouncing Columbus

Links we like

  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Taquitos.net
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (16)
  • Animals (381)
  • Antiques (48)
  • Art (539)
  • Beyond Wellesley (28)
  • Books (343)
  • Business (1,369)
  • Camp (1)
  • Careers/jobs (44)
  • Churches (72)
  • Clubs (209)
  • Construction (280)
  • Dump (113)
  • Education (2,893)
    • Babson College (240)
    • Bates Elementary School (14)
    • Dana Hall School (29)
    • Fiske Elementary School (6)
    • Hardy Elementary School (33)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (34)
    • MassBay (47)
    • Schofield Elementary School (20)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (1)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (9)
    • Upham Elementary School (30)
    • Wellesley College (598)
    • Wellesley High School (888)
    • Wellesley Middle School (195)
  • Embracing diversity (44)
  • Entertainment (724)
  • Environment (673)
  • Fashion (134)
  • Finance (13)
  • Fire (142)
  • Food (328)
  • Fundraising (561)
  • Gardens (137)
  • Government (407)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
  • Health (745)
    • COVID-19 (140)
  • History (359)
  • Holidays (365)
  • Houses (120)
  • Humor (45)
  • Kids (815)
  • Law (3)
  • Letters to the Editor (12)
  • Media (63)
  • METCO (5)
  • Military (3)
  • Morses Pond (97)
  • Music (544)
  • Natick Report (28)
  • Neighbors (248)
  • Obituaries (58)
  • Outdoors (585)
  • Parenting (60)
  • Police (695)
    • Crime (350)
  • Politics (544)
  • Real estate (290)
  • Religion (127)
  • Restaurants (303)
  • Safety (142)
  • Scouts (1)
  • Senior citizens (110)
  • Shopping (123)
  • Sports (900)
  • STEM (104)
  • Technology (154)
  • Theatre (383)
  • Town Meeting (22)
  • Transportation (210)
  • Travel (11)
  • Uncategorized (1,206)
  • Volunteering (319)
  • Weather (167)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (258)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (5)
RSS Feed Icon Subscribe to RSS Feed

© 2021 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login