MANCHESTER, NH – The Manchester School District announced Thursday that Hillside Middle School will transition to fully remote learning starting Friday through at least Nov. 16, after identifying two positive COVID-19 cases at the school.
Since a number staff members were forced to quarantine as a result, the school’s ability to continue in-person operations was impacted.
Superintendent of Schools John Goldhardt said in a press release that the reason to go fully remote was driven by staffing levels.
“We are simply not able to operate the school in person with the current number of staff who are now quarantined,” Goldhardt said. “For this reason, we must push the entire school to remote status through at least Nov. 16. We will reassess the situation as that date gets closer, and hope to get students back into the building as soon as possible.”
District spokesman Andrew Toland said a total of 18 staff members have been quarantined. One of the two infected individuals is a student, which was reported to administration two days ago, and the other is a staff member, which was a new case reported Thursday.
The school is working closely with the Manchester Health Department to cooperate with its contact tracing efforts. All individuals who have had close contacts with the infected individuals have been notified and told to quarantine, according to the release.
The middle school closed early Thursday, and sent emails to parents in the morning notifying them that bus deliveries were being coordinated to send kids to households with someone present, and pickups were facilitated between noon and 1 p.m.
Families of Hillside students can direct their questions about the situation to school administration.
Meanwhile, St. Peter’s Home Child Care Center in Manchester notified its community Wednesday that a staff member tested positive and that they are working with the health department to conduct their investigation, according to Director Lisa Cormier.
The staff member was last in the daycare and kindergarten on Monday. As a precaution, the school has advised 10 staff members and 52 children to quarantine for 14 days.
“We do not believe any other staff or students were exposed, nor does it appear at this point that the staff member was infected at work,” Cormier told the Manchester Ink Link in an email.
She said St. Peter’s Home was designated an emergency child care center during the height of the pandemic, and they follow state and Centers for Disease Control safety guidelines.
The health department, in partnership with the Manchester Fire Department, are offering free COVID-19 testing on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Appointments can be made by calling 668-1547, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
