Politics & Government

Melrose Public Schools, St. Mary's School Canceled Monday

There will be no school on Monday for Melrose Public Schools, according to a city press statement. St. Mary's will also be closed on Monday, according to the WHDH website.

There will be no school on Monday for Melrose Public Schools, according to a city press statement.

St. Mary of the Annunciation School will also be closed on Monday, according to the WHDH website.

"Because of the high volume of snow due to this weekend’s storm, Superintendent of Schools Cyndy Taymore and I have decided to cancel school on Monday," Mayor Rob Dolan said in the statement, adding that the decision is for safety reasons and also to give parents time to make child care arrangements for Monday.

Find out what's happening in Melrosewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"All of our schools are in small, tight residential neighborhoods, where the streets are narrow and the schools are surrounded by critical intersections: Ruggles at Howard, Ashcroft at Upham, Glendower at Whitman, Everett Street," Dolan said in the statement. "All these are tight, narrow drop-offs. The safety of every child, particularly those who may have to walk, has to be our first concern, and we will need more time.

"Furthermore, walking to school should be limited for the rest of the week due to safety concerns. We have thousands of individual intersections, and it will take a considerable amount of time throughout the week for DPW, DCR, and others to open them up. The extra 24 hours will put us in a much better place. Every day will improve accessibility and safety. That weighed the most heavily in this decision."

Find out what's happening in Melrosewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The mayor noted that roofs also need to be cleared, especially given the fact that heavy rain is in the forecast for Monday.

"As a parent and as a mayor I feel much more comfortable limiting potential problems with students by taking that additional 24 hours to clear streets, sidewalks, and intersections," Dolan said in the statement. "Other cities and towns may choose different paths but Melrose is unique in the number of schools and its neighborhood school system, and our children’s safety needs to come first."


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