By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

If SAD 61 returns to in-person instruction five days a week, the move won’t occur until January.

The target date is Jan. 11, but many hurdles will need to be cleared before SAD 61 takes the leap to full in-person learning.

Superintendent Al Smith updated the SAD 61 School Board Monday night regarding results from a parent survey, as well as some return to school details.

“It’s no secret I want to bring back students to a normal education platform of five days a week,” he said to those in attendance in the LRVC Great Room and 58 attending “virtually.”

At the previous board meeting, Smith hoped for an in-person return this month, but found through conversations with staff and seeing recent surges in Covid-19 numbers, it became an unrealistic date.

A parent survey was sent out Friday, and initially, the district received about 400 responses. While the total reached about 500, school officials learned through a Facebook posting Sunday that folks could respond more than once.

Going into the process, Smith previously stated that if the district received 350-plus responses and most supported a move to five-day in-person instruction, it would be a good indicator to proceed onward with developing a plan. At 400, Smith considered it a good sample, and the response was 75.5% supported the move to in-person.

So, how will it work? Admittedly, Smith told the audience there are many points to tackle. What he could say right now:

• When school resumes after the holidays, the week of Jan. 4 through Jan. 9 will retain the current method of instruction, hybrid and remote.

• If approved by the school board and parents decide to send their children in-person, five days a week, the shift starts Jan. 11.

• A great deal of discussion has already occurred regarding achieving 3-foot distancing in classrooms and other spaces. To satisfy this requirement, the district will need to ditch “tables” in classrooms and return to desk and chair units. Right now, there is no stock available. The order will be placed this week, with delivery expected in five to six weeks. 

• Another figure to consider is 50 — Governor Mills has restricted gatherings to 50 in a room, which means SAD 61 will need to figure out how to distribute breakfast and lunch safely and maintain 6-foot distancing.

“It’s going to take some work, take some time, but we can make it work,” Smith said.

• Another consideration to push the start date back to Jan. 11 was in recognition that staff and students could be traveling during the upcoming holidays. Recognizing the surge in Covid cases, the district will look for a 14-day quarantine or a negative Covid test (the state has increased the availability of testing and faster results) if individuals travel out of Maine.

“The hope is, use common sense. People have lives, plans and things to do, it’s the way life goes,” Smith said. “When people return, the hope is follow the safety rules and things we put out for them, understand the process they will have to follow.”

The Mills Administration will distribute 400,000 rapid antigen tests, including 300,000 provided to up to 65 Walgreens pharmacy locations from Kittery to Madawaska. Testing will be available to the public at no charge as a drive-through service at a future date in November. People can find COVID-19 testing sites near them via the website https://get-tested-covid19.org/

According to the Get Tested Covid-19 website, Walgreens in the Lake Region area are not included. Western Maine Health Care in Norway is a state-sponsored site with drive-through testing. An appointment is required; all testing is free; results in two to three days. Bridgton Hospital requires provider referral before a swab test will be performed.

• To handle transportation needs, Middle School and High School students will be dismissed at 1 p.m. 

• Homeschool students, as well as new students to the district, who wish to return to in-school may not be able to. “We don’t have the space for them,” Smith said. They will be offered 100% remote learning.

Plans will ultimately depend upon the numbers. Smith said the district will reach out to every parent to determine what option they wish to pursue.

“We need to get information out to the public so they have all the information to make an honest, comfortable, best decision,” Smith said. “We’re looking at every aspect to make this work, and be safe. Emotionally, it would be tremendous for the kids.” 

The superintendent remains very concerned regarding what students “are missing out on” and “not getting” through the current hybrid and remote instruction options. He cited that just 62% of middle and high school students are accessing instruction on remote days, which he finds “not acceptable.”

Smith cited that other school systems brought students back full time, and so far, many have succeeded with few problems. “Fortunately for us, we have not had any (positive Covid cases),” Smith said.

What is happening next door in SAD 72

Before the start of school in September, parents were given the option of five days of in-person instruction or fully remote.

“We felt it best to provide parents with an option of what they felt was the best option for their children,” SAD 72 Superintendent Jay Robinson said.

A parent survey resulted in 300-plus responses. At a recent school board meeting, Superintendent Robinson presented an update that included enrollment figures (at that time, total K-8 population of 699 students).

Virtual learners total 251. Here’s the breakdown:

• Brownfield/Denmark Elementary — total 40. K-7, Gr1-7, Gr2-13, Gr3-6 and Gr4-7.

• New Suncook School — total 33. K-5, Gr1-6, Gr2-12, Gr3-3, Gr4-7.

• Molly Ockett School — total 178. K-10, Gr1-10, Gr2-13, Gr3-10, Gr4-15, Gr5-19, Gr6-42, Gr7-26, Gr8-33.

“We have greatly improved upon our initial foray into remote learning last spring, which is understandable given that we had a day or two to prepare for it. Our teachers have been great about being flexible with families to overcome Internet issues, communication barriers and technology barriers (such as lack of solid Internet at certain homes — for which we have provided ‘hot spots’),” Superintendent Robinson said. “Also, when it has become clear that the remote option isn’t working for a child, we have advocated with the family that a return to in-person learning is in the child’s best interest. While there are space, capacity and staffing issues, so far we have been able to resolve most of the issues that remote learners are experiencing.” 

In-Person learners total 448. Here’s the breakdown:

• Brownfield/Denmark Elementary — total 34. K-7, Gr1-5, Gr2-9, Gr3-6, Gr4-7.

• New Suncook School — total 51. K-7, Gr1-18, Gr2-8, Gr3-9, Gr4-9.

• Molly Ockett School — total 363. K-23, Gr1-26, Gr2-23, Gr3-34, Gr4-28, Gr5-68, Gr6-61, Gr7-48, Gr8-52.

Homeschooling, meanwhile, went from 82 registrations to 117.

SAD 72’s initial plan was to require parents who chose the remote option to stick with that learning method through the end of December when the district would allow those parents to reassess how their children would be educated for the remainder of the year.

However, at a regional superintendents’ meeting in mid-September, it was stated that districts cannot deny students access to in-person learning regardless of a parent’s initial choice, Robinson told the school board.

“For some students who were having trouble engaging, we have advocated for a return to a five day, in-person experience. For families that didn’t want to use this option out of a concern for health-related issues, we have tried to support parents to support their remote learners,” Superintendent Robinson said. “It is certainly true that remote learning is not for everyone and that it is a less effective instructional approach, especially given that learning is a social process and one that works best under the guidance of and with the direct support of a classroom teacher.”

January will bring some major decisions and adjustments.

“We are in the process of surveying parents of remote learners to gauge their feelings about a return to in-person learning for their children. This would happen in January. We would still like to honor parental requests to stay remote, especially given the uptick in community transmission happening lately,” Robinson added. “It will ultimately come down to our ability to find the space, staffing and transportation to accommodate the number of requests, but time will tell.” 

If more parents opt for in-person learning, SAD 72 officials will look at that number and determine if the district is able to transport and set up classrooms to accommodate the increased number while still meeting CDC safety guidelines.

“It may be that if most of the distance-learners want to return that we may have to move to a ‘hybrid’ schedule for all students,” the powerpoint noted, “which in some ways would represent a step backwards.”

Questions & concerns raised

Casco Director Phil Shane wondered, based on Maine’s recent Covid surge, if it is too early to make a decision on opening up for five-day instruction.

Due to extensive planning and actions that will need to take place to make a return possible, Smith said now is time to start those wheels moving. He pointed out that there will be four school board meetings before the target date of Jan. 11 which will allow officials time to review and evaluate.

“If the (Covid) numbers are heading in the wrong direction, for sure, the board has the opportunity to decide that we can’t do it, push it out or keep the same model for the rest of the year,” Smith said. “I do know this takes time. There are a lot of moving parts and conversations to be had with staff. We need to get a plan in place, and if it doesn’t happen this time, maybe we enact it later on. It’s not in stone. We have to keep an eye on the situation.”

Parents spoke out about the survey and the importance to keep the school community informed.

One parent said the letter received failed to allow for comment, it just asked a question.

“It sounded as if the decision was done,” she said.

Smith understands there is “a lot of angst” and the survey did not provide all answers. The intent was to find out if there is interest in five-day, in-person instruction, Smith said. If there was general support for it, then school officials would move ahead on crafting a plan — and once developed, fully shared with all stakeholders.

Casco Director Tuan Nguyen extensively questioned the superintendent what “100% remote” will look like if parents select this option. 

“I can’t give an answer until I have that number (opt in to in-person),” Smith said. “It won’t look much different than now. If we need to put more staff toward 100% remote, it can be done. We have to work through all these processes. Until parents know what five-days a week looks like, they can’t make a decision…I’m not putting out information to parents if it is inaccurate.”

It was suggested that the district seek guidance from medical personnel, and invite them to make a presentation in regards to bringing students back full-time. Nguyen would like to hear from district nurses regarding what they see and what level of danger might exist, as well as from guidance counselors who can shed some light on student anxiety.

“We’ll see what we can do,” Smith said.

Bridgton Director Karla Swanson-Murphy wants to see specifics regarding how 3-foot and 6-foot distancing is achieved.

Casco Director Stan Buchanan asked if Smith had spoken to other school district superintendents about plans devised to bring students back full-time.

Smith has had multiple conversations with lead officials from Hiram to Oxford to Bangor and in between. He said a number of schools reporting to have “done well” up to this point.

Smith was questioned why teachers were not part of the survey process. He answered saying teachers “would not provide information I would need” and felt discussions and concerns staff might have would be communicated to principals.

Other questions asked included:

• Are parents still being asked to do temperature checks prior to sending children to school? Answer, yes. “There is no good way to monitor if they are doing it. I am hopeful. We’ve been in pretty good shape in this district,” Smith said. “The hope is people stay home if they’re not well. Our nurses have been amazing.”

• A parent whose fifth grader has “thrived” under the hybrid model (adding the relationship between student and teacher “couldn’t be better”) asked if the student went to 100% remote rather than return in-person full-time, could he possibly have a new teacher at the mid-year point. “If he went 100% remote, yes,” Smith answered.

• What happens if there is a positive Covid case? Smith said the district would follow the current CDC protocol, which includes reporting to the CDC and tracing followed up by appropriate quarantining (including those with high level of contact with the infected individual). “Regardless if it (full-time in-person) takes place now or Jan. 11, the process doesn’t change,” Smith said.

• Parent. Rae-Anne Nguyen, who is homeschooling this year, applauded teacher and staff for their efforts. While kids might want to return to school five days a week, Nguyen reminded all that the “pandemic is not going to give us what we’re hoping.” She feels right now kids need consistency not normalcy, something society is unable to have right now.

Although the board failed to take a vote whether to move forward with planning for an in-person return, Smith said Tuesday he is comfortable to proceed since the board did not voice a negative response. To be sure, Smith sent out an e-mail to members to get their thoughts. He found them in support of the move forward.