Dear NRSD Staff,
At this time, the Narragansett Regional School District (NRSD), in consultation with area districts, has made the decision to close school for students for the next two weeks, from March 16, 2020 through March 27, 2020. All staff are asked to report to the auditorium on Monday at 10:00 am for a meeting at which time we will outline expectations and address any questions which you may have. Recently, the District has been part of several conference calls and other discussions that have included local district superintendents, NRSD nurses, administrators, and union representation, the Massachusetts Department of Health (DPH), local Departments of Health, and the Commissioner of Education, among others. The Commissioner is being proactive in stating that schools will be required to remain open through their 185th day, but will not need to make up school days after March 15th if schools are closed as a result of actions taken relative to COVID-19. Given that, NRSD’s last day of school will be June 23, 2020 and April vacation will continue as scheduled on the school calendar. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has given guidance to districts, including the following highlights:
● Cancel or reschedule large assemblies of 250 people or more for the foreseeable future;
● Limit other gatherings with fewer than 250 individuals and instances where students, staff and others are less than 6 feet apart from one another;
● Alter schedules to reduce large group interactions, such as by staggering recess and lunch;
● Limit inter-school interaction;
● Consider regular health checks for students, staff, and visitors such as taking temperatures and evaluating respiratory symptoms;
● Cancel extracurricular activities.

A few of these key recommendations are not feasible in our District. Among them are canceling large assemblies of 250 or more people, and limiting instances where students, staff and others are less than 6 feet apart from one another. As you know, our lunch schedules includes times where there are more than 250 students, and it is not feasible to maintain a six foot distance between people in our buildings. Heywood Hospital has stated that the community needs to work together to prevent the spread of the virus. Although children are not likely to be in danger from the virus, they can spread the virus to others whom it directly affects such as their parents, grandparents and caregivers, as well as the community as a whole. For these and other reasons, we are taking the prudent action of cancelling school for students for the next two weeks, from March 16, 2020 through March 27, 2020. Thank you for your understanding and support during this unprecedented time, as we continue to do our best to manage this ever changing situation.

Sincerely, Dr. Christopher Casavant
Superintendent of Schools