By JEFF TIRRELL
(SUNDERLAND) — The Frontier Regional School District and Sunderland town officials have decided to stay with the hybrid learning model for Sunderland Elementary School despite the town now being categorized as “high-risk” for Covid-19 transmission.
In the past two weeks, 11 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sunderland. According to the state’s
metrics, this puts the town in the “red” or “high-risk” category. Sunderland officials note that because of the size of the town, a relatively small number of cases can trigger this designation. Officials also say that they have determined that most of the cases are associated with the University of Massachusetts, and have not spread to the wider community.
The Sunderland Board of Health and the school administration feel that a shift away from the current hybrid learning model is not warranted at this time, but they emphasize that they are monitoring the situation and are prepared to respond if the situation changes.