1,000 signatures reached
To: Brookline School Committee
Free and Frequent COVID-19 Testing for Brookline Schools!
Free and frequent Covid-19 testing of all staff and students in the schools must be implemented immediately. Brookline is fortunate to have a community that is capable of, and committed to, supporting its public schools. Now is the time to follow the example of communities such as Wellesley, Somerville and Cambridge who have found creative ways to fund testing, including affordable methods such as pool testing.
The Public Schools of Brookline must also immediately provide more detailed reporting of Covid-19 cases. Cases should be listed by school, including tallies of staff and students, differentiated by race, gender and age group, daily. Such information about cases of Covid-19 in the Public Schools of Brookline should be made accessible and readily available to educators, families, and the public. Transparency helps all members of the community be part of the effort to keep everyone safe and schools open.
Why is this important?
Students receive the highest quality of education in school buildings with face-to-face contact with educators. In order to appropriately address students’ academic and social-emotional needs, the schools need to be consistently and fully staffed. For educators and children to be healthy and safe so they can be present in person, Covid-19 transmission and infection rates within Brookline’s schools need to be identified, monitored and minimized. While we understand that discussions are underway between the Town of Brookline and the Public Schools of Brookline concerning implementation of a program of asymptomatic testing of staff, an immediate and more comprehensive approach is urgently needed.