MANCHESTER, NH – On Aug. 10 the Board of School Committee will take action on reopening schools. Superintendent Dr. John Goldhardt has submitted a draft proposal for BOSC member’s review, which can be found in Monday’s meeting agenda (attached below. The draft begins on page 4 of the agenda).
“As I’ve said all along, our plan for re-entry to schools will need to be fluid. We have spent months working with stakeholders to build the infrastructure for safely reopening schools, and that is what this draft proposal is built on. This proposal requires that families choose between a fully remote model and a blended – or hybrid – model that would be phased in.”
“While the optimal situation would be for us to open schools for all who choose to be in person on Sept. 9, in my opinion, we simply are not ready to do that yet. For that reason, this proposal calls for all students in grades 2 through 12 to begin the year fully remote through the end of the first term, but we would re-evaluate the situation on Oct. 9. I’m proposing that students in Pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade who are in the blended model attend school in person for part of the week. In addition, I’m recommending that specialized programming be in-person as much as is possible to begin the year.”
“We would need families to choose the model they’re most comfortable with, and with that information, we can firm up more of this plan. I cannot stress enough that this proposal, and the decision the Board of School Committee makes on Monday, are starting points. I understand that will be frustrating to some, but we must remain flexible.”
