Waterford Schools To Close Due To Coronavirus Concerns

WATERFORD, CT — Waterford Public Schools announced that they will close for at least two weeks.

The district issued the following statement:

Dear Families and Community Members,
I am writing to inform you that the Waterford Public Schools will be closed indefinitely, with a minimum two-week closure, beginning Friday, March 13, 2020 at 5PM. On the advice of our local health departments, the school superintendents in southeastern Connecticut and along the shoreline have come together to make a decision to put the health of our community (both our school community and the community at large) at the center of our decision to close schools. We have been advised by local health authorities that the implementation of social distancing measures is a proven science-based intervention that has been shown to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with communicable disease outbreaks. In the past, communities in which schools closed were able to positively impact and reduce the spread of disease. We felt compelled to make this decision to prevent the spread of illness among our students, staff, and our communities.

We also clearly heard that we cannot confirm that this illness will run its course in two weeks; in fact, it is not likely that it will. We made the determination to make this closure “indefinite” based on that information. This decision was made in consultation with and with the support of the health departments, elected officials and emergency management professionals.

The Governor has waived the 180-day requirement for all districts in Connecticut meaning districts will not need to extend beyond June 30, 2020 to meet the 180-day requirement. With that said, school closure days must be rescheduled to a later point in the year but we cannot extend beyond June 30, 2020. We will be required to make up as many days as we can up to June 30, 2020.

Also, please be advised we will not have any formal distance-learning in place during the closure because such an approach would not allow for equitable experiences for all students. You will receive a follow-up email from us soon with information on how you and your child can access learning activities our teachers and staff have compiled so that your child can remain engaged in learning throughout the school closure.
I will be sharing more information soon about the many questions raised by this imminent closure. I know that this creates hardships for many parents and guardians, but this decision is being made out of the utmost concern for the safety of all of our students and staff.

Lastly, we will remain in contact with the CT Department of Public Health, Ledge Light Health District, Governor’s office, and State Department of Education as we make decisions based on the health and education of our students, staff, and families.

Please monitor your emails and refer to our district’s coronavirus page for additional details and updates. Minimally, I will update you each Friday with a district update.

We appreciate everyone’s patience, understanding, and flexibility in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,
Thomas W. Giard III
Superintendent of Schools