Coronavirus Case Surge Sends Salem School Remote

SALEM, MA — The Bentley Innovation School will switch to full remote learning for the rest of the week after what Superintendent of Schools Steve Zrike said Wednesday was a "significant increase in positive of cases at the school and a large numbers of students and staff that needed to be quarantined."

Zrike said the school is expected to return to in-classroom learning after next week's vacation on April 26. That is the same day high school students will return to full, in-classroom learning in the district for the first time since March 12, 2020.

"It didn't make sense to continue in-person schooling," Zrike said of Bentley. "We said all along we would take those actions as necessary in consultation with the Board of Health. They advised us on this decision."

Zrike had said late last month that he expected the return to full, in-classroom learning with 3 feet of social distancing among students might translate into more positive cases, and urged students and unvaccinated staff to be careful to follow all coronavirus protocols during vacation week to prevent a surge entering the final weeks of the school year.

"While that was a difficult decision, the safety and health of our students and staff will always come first," he said. "We will continue to monitor cases across our district. We have seen an increase. We are very open and transparent with the Board of Health in our communications and they will guide us along the way if similar things need to happen in our other schools.

"It's a reminder that the virus is still very strong in Salem, and in our state and around the country. I do worry about people getting lax. People within our buildings and people in our community because more people are getting vaccinated, and the weather is nicer, and people are out and about more."

In response to a question about COVID-19 bus protocols, Zrike said the guidance did change in that masked students are now allowed to share seats in more crowded buses than in the fall, but that windows should be open at all times to facilitate air circulation.

In other topics, Zrike acknowledged the social unrest in Minnesota after the latest police-involved killing of a Black man in that state. He acknowledged the "deep sadness and profound pain" felt in the community and that the district must do its part to "ensure the inequities we continue to see around the country are addressed here in the Salem Public Schools."

Zrike also said vacation food distribution will be done April 16 and April 21 with five days of meals given out each day, and that he expects to receive a list of finalists for the next Salem High principal to be determined by the end of the week.

He said there will be a period for public questions and input with the final interviews set to begin April 26.

"The high school principal is a role that everyone in the community should have a vested interest in," he said.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)