Marlborough School Committee resumes fall practices, returns youngest learners Nov. 2

MARLBOROUGH -- October 27, 2020, Marlborough brings youngest students and English learners back to classrooms Nov. 2. The School Committee voted unanimously to return preschool, kindergarten, grades 1-2, and roughly 348 Level 1 and 2 English learners in grades 1-12 to in-person instruction, while leaving the rest of the district remote. Superintendent Michael Bergeron said active in-school cases had dropped from eight to five and the citywide incidence rate had fallen from 19.7 per 100,000. The committee also voted, over dissent from members Mary Ann Matthews and Denise Ryan, to resume high school fall practices with possible no-contact meets, with Bergeron arguing students were already gathering off-field and "if we expand opportunities for students to experience positive social outlets, we should." Members approved a contract for Jody O'Brien as Assistant Superintendent for Student Services and Equity and accepted $1,838.35 in donations from Lifetouch and Hannaford.