MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Manchester Board of School Committee voted 13-0 on Wednesday night to amend the Manchester School District’s re-entry plan, accelerating the return of in-person instruction after learning that teachers would start getting COVID-19 vaccinations this week.
The plan amendment has three parts.
First, the six-foot minimum for social distancing has been reduced to three feet. This comes from Department of Health and Human Services guidelines indicating that three feet is acceptable if other mitigation efforts are in place, with Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. John Goldhardt noting numerous infrastructure upgrades to school ventilation systems as well as frequent deep cleanings across the district.
Second, Wednesdays will have live and self-paced instruction, with a 90-minute period at the end of the day for teachers to collaborate on lesson planning. In recent weeks, Wednesdays had been used for one-on-one student support.
Third, some schools may return to four days a week of in-person instruction if they can provide a plan showing how they can give six feet of social distancing for students at all times.
The amendments will go into effect on May 3, timed to coincide with the end of April vacation and when staff members are expected to obtain herd immunity.
If needed, schools could go back into full remote status if COVID-19 clusters are detected after this point, but Goldhardt has made it clear that his preference is to slowly return students to in-person learning as soon as it can be safely done, noting that long-term remote instruction has impacted the educational and emotional needs of students in Manchester.
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig echoed those sentiments in a statement following the vote.
“It’s imperative we get our students safely back in school as soon as possible, and this is a step in the right direction,” said Craig on the amendments to the re-entry plan.
Arthur Beaudry (Ward 9) and Kelly Thomas (Ward 12) were absent during the vote.
A full copy of the proposed amendments can be found below.
