Public Schools of Brookline Closure Extended Through End of Academic Year

BROOKLINE — Interim Superintendent Ben Lummis announces that, in accordance with a new order from Gov. Charlie Baker and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Public Schools of Brookline school buildings shall remain closed through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year as a precaution against the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While the school buildings will be closed, school remains in session and remote learning will continue until the end of the school year on June 23.

The statewide closure of schools, originally set to end on April 7 and previously extended to May 4, has been further extended through the end of the school year.

The extended closure of school buildings is an unprecedented step in limiting the potential spread of COVID-19 and continuing the practice of social distancing as more positive cases and deaths are announced in the state each day.

While school buildings remain closed, the district’s food pick-up service for students and families will continue on the schedule outlined below:

All athletic programs, events and after school activities will remain suspended and all playgrounds and play areas are closed until further notice.

Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley canceled MCAS testing for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year across grades 3-10. The Commissioner has not yet made a decision regarding the competency determination for high school graduation.

Decisions about events like graduation, prom and academic awards ceremonies will be discussed in the coming days and weeks and further information will be shared as it becomes available.

“This is by no means how we saw our school year finishing, but it is a necessary step to take in order to mitigate the impact of this pandemic,” Interim Superintendent Lummis said. “I’m proud of the way our educators and students have adapted to these unprecedented circumstances, and I have no doubt they’ll continue to do their best to remain engaged in their learning through the end of the school year in June.”

Remote Learning

Remote learning will continue through the end of the school year, June 23, and new content will continue to be introduced to students by their teachers.

Commissioner Riley will be releasing additional guidance and recommendations to school districts statewide within the coming days and an announcement will be made about any changes to the current remote learning plan.

Teachers and administrators have worked since the initial school closure to support students’ connections to their school community and classwork.

During the school closure, teachers have remained vigilant and mindful of their individual students’ needs and have made adjustments according to those needs. Teachers will continue to reach out to students and families regularly throughout the remainder of the school closure.

For more information, visit the district’s website at brookline.k12.ma.us/. For town-wide information related to COVID-19, please continue to visit BrooklineCOVID19.com.

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