Dedham School Superintendent Predicts Rises In COVID-19 Cases

DEDHAM, MA - Dedham Public Schools Superintendent Michael Welch said in an interview Thursday morning that the number of COVID-19 cases is rising, a trend he expects will climb over the next few weeks.

"What you're going to see is the number of cases going up," he said. "Last week, there were 1,230 cases statewide in the number of students who tested positive during a three-day period.

"This number is higher than the numbers reported during seven-day periods ever - and that was only in three days," Welch continued. "I don't know why I haven't seen that in the media."

Currently, there are two teachers and six students who have COVID-19, he said. He also received a call this morning about another student case.

"This is more than we initially expected," he said. "Some of the cases were uncovered through the pool testing program, while others were transmitted via other channels. All of the students are in elementary schools and are too young to receive the vaccine."

Welch encouraged parents to enroll their children in the free pool testing program. The link can be found here.

The pool testing program allows for students to be tested in groups and would aid in contact tracing. The program is available at no cost to school districts for this school year through a contract administered by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), according to the DESE website. School districts must apply for inclusion in the free testing program.

"Pool testing is administered once a week," Welch said. "We're trying to test everybody, including students and staff. So it's important that parents register their children. And like I said, we did pull up a few positives through pool testing."

By being enrolled in the pool testing program, a student is eligible for the Test and Stay program. If a student has been exposed to a close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, he or she can receive a BinaxNOW rapid antigen test. If the test is negative, the child is allowed to remain in class. Tests are administered for at least five days to ensure that the student does not have COVID-19.

"We are making sure that we are following all of the safety protocols precisely to keep people safe," Welch said.

While some communities have been engaged in heated debates over the required use of masks for all staff, students and visitors in Massachusetts schools, Welch said Dedham parents have been cooperative.

"Thankfully, we have had great support from the community on this," he said.

While COVID-19 has presented challenges to many school districts in terms of bus service and staffing, Dedham has fared well.

"We are really pleased with the service that we have been getting from our bus company, Michael J. Connolly & Sons," Welch said. "We have not had any problems getting kids to school on time, and we are very lucky that they have managed this so well."

The only issue is trying to find transportation for student athletes in the afternoons.

"It's a little bit difficult when you have four or five different teams all going to different athletic contests in different towns," he explained.

While some districts have had to use the National Guard to transport students with disabilities, Dedham has not encountered a problem.

"Historically, Connolly has always come through for us and have done a great job," Welch said.