Framingham Schools Back To Remote Learning As Coronavirus Surges

FRAMINGHAM, MA — With coronavirus cases on the rise in Framingham, and now virus transmission detected in schools, the school system is moving all students to remote learning beginning Dec. 7.

Framingham brought back hundreds of high-needs students and staff to buildings this fall. Another group of high-needs students was set to return to buildings in mid-December, but the district canceled that plan on Nov. 20 amid rising cases in the city.

At Wednesday's School Committee, Superintendent Robert Tremblay said the district is now seeing students coming to school with symptoms, or after having been exposed to the virus — behavior he deemed untenable.

"This is not just about kids or parents, this is about everybody," he said. "Nevertheless, we have to plan for the future because one day the numbers will trend in the appropriate direction."

The return to remote learning will last until Jan. 4 or "until public health conditions allow," the district said in a letter to parents.

At the same time, Gov. Charlie Baker and state education officials are pressuring school districts to bring students back to classrooms citing data showing low transmission rates in schools — but Tremblay pushed back on that.

"Framingham, by its own numbers and by evidence of its own numbers, is different, and we need to pay attention to that," he told the school committee.

Framingham this week reported some of the highest numbers of new cases since the spring. The city also remained on the state's list of high-risk communities. The state data showed Framingham was adding more than 40 new cases per day per 100,000 residents this week, the highest so far this fall. The city's positive coronavirus test rate also rose above 5 percent.