Danvers School Absent Rates Rise Amid Coronavirus Spike

Danvers MA

04 January, 2022

3:34 PM

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DANVERS, MA — Danvers Public Schools welcomed back most students and staff following the holiday break this week despite a rise in absenteeism amid a spike in coronavirus cases regionally and nationally. Interim co-superintendents Keith Taverna and Mary Wermers told Patch on Tuesday that about 10 percent of staff and 15 percent of students were out to start the week, but that the district was able to cover all classes both days. They said the district will continue to monitor staffing levels throughout the week. "We had a successful return to school," they told Patch in a joint statement. "It was great to see all of the students smiling and excited to be back at school. We are thankful to all of our staff for their dedication to students and always stepping up to help the district." The interim superintendents told Patch that the state-supplied KN95 masks and at-home antigen tests were distributed to employees over the weekend prior to the return to school. They said the district sent messages to families reminding them that many coronavirus protocols from the past 18 months will be reinforced over the next few weeks of the omicron wave. Those include: proper mask-wearing, staying home when sick, using air purifiers in classrooms and keeping at least one window open per room, utilizing cohorts within classrooms and utilizing some cohorts during lunches as feasible. Taverna and Wermers said all families are encouraged to sign up to participate in the test-and-stay program and that the district hopes to provide other community testing options in the coming weeks. (Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)