Nearly 200 Gilford students will take instruction remotely

GILFORD — Nearly 200 of the 1,150 students in the Gilford School District will take their instruction remotely in the upcoming school year, Superintendent Kirk Beitler said Wednesday.

Beitler said the online instruction will be provided by district teachers when classes begin next month. Families were given the option of having their children attend classes in person or online.

Students will begin returning to classes the week of Sept. 8-11. There will be a staggered start to let children acclimate to new pandemic precaution procedures. All students will be issued a Chromebook laptop computer. Sept. 14 will mark the start of in-person instruction.

The School Board approved a plan Tuesday night to allow extra pay for teachers who add some remote classes to their in-person workload. Other teachers will instruct remote classes full time.

Beitler said 100 of the district's roughly 500 high school students have opted for remote education, 50 at the elementary school level and 42 at the middle school level.

He said “a handful” of teachers have expressed concern about returning to in-person instruction because of underlying health conditions, family responsibilities or other issues.

“It is something we have to work through, just as every school district has had to,” Beitler said.

He said he’s looking forward to the start of school.

“Absolutely, I can’t wait to get kids in the buildings,” Beitler said. “Once we start having that happen, it will be a good thing.”