Medford school officials have decided to cancel school at one of the city’s elementary schools on Thursday after over 130 of the school’s students were absent on Wednesday.
Local and state health officials suspect the absences at Roberts Elementary School are due to an outbreak of Norovirus, as many of the school’s students and staff have reported having upset stomachs, school administrators wrote in a letter to families.
City and school officials decided to close the school, which serves approximately 530 students in grades pre-K through 5, to take action to stop the spread of the highly contagious virus.
“The closure of the Roberts Elementary School tomorrow will allow for a professional company to deep clean the school,” the letter reads. “Out of an abundance of caution, the Medford Board of Health is also examining Roberts cafeteria equipment to rule out any other potential causes.”
All other Medford schools will open as normal on Thursday, school officials said.
“If you or your child is experiencing Norovirus symptoms, the Board of Health and MPS Health Services recommend that all students and staff should wait 24 hours after experiencing vomit-like symptoms before returning to school,” the letter reads.
A make-up day for Roberts Elementary School will be scheduled later in the year, school officials said. Information about the make-up day will be shared with families at a later date.