Laconia school model aims for in-person learning, possibly by end of September

LACONIA — The city’s public school students will head back to school in five weeks under a phased-in plan, starting off with a hybrid model, but shifting to a normal, in-school schedule as early as the end of September.

Under the plan presented by Superintendent Steve Tucker and approved unanimously the Laconia School Board:

— Parents will be able to choose remote instruction or in-school classes.

— Those opting to come to school will alternate between days of in-school instruction and at-home learning/assignments.

— Students will be required to wear masks in the buildings as well as on the bus.

— Classrooms will be set up so as to keep the students at least 3 feet apart, and possibly 6 feet or more.

— Parents will be asked to screen their children for COVID-19 symptoms every day before they leave for school.

Tucker acknowledged that a great many details remain to be worked out.

For example, school officials still need to find out how many students will continue with remote instruction, the number of students who will take the bus to school as opposed to going by private vehicle, how many school staff will ask to work remotely, and how lunch breaks will be handled.

The superintendent acknowledged the plan “is not going to please everybody,” but he said it strikes a proper balance between sticking to the COVID-19 guidelines designed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, and the ability to get children back into school

”That’s where children learn best,” Tucker said.

Tucker noted that a survey conducted earlier this summer showed a plurality of parents and students preferred in-school classes, while a hybrid model was preferred by the largest segment of teachers.

Parents have until Aug. 13 to choose whether their children will come back to school under the phased-in hybrid plan, or opt for remote instruction in a more-structured format than students had when schools abruptly closed in March when the pandemic took hold in the state. They also must tell school administrators whether they will be relying on school buses to get their children to and from school.

During Tuesday's meeting the School Board approved Sept. 9 as the first day of school for students, with the last day of classes being June 24.

Those students who opt for remote-learning will needs to commit to that model until at least Nov. 13 when the first academic quarter ends.

The plan is for remote learners to be taught by district teachers, but Tucker said the exact number who would be assigned that task still needs to be determined.

The number of children who choose remote instruction could have consequences on how the phased-in plan will ultimately work out, Tucker told the board.

Under the hybrid segment only half of the students enrolled in classroom instruction will be in school at any one time. The plan calls for school administrators to assess by Sept. 24 whether all those students can safely return to their assigned school simultaneously. If the number of remote learners is less than a certain number “it could be a challenge” to have all the other students in classrooms and still meet social-distancing guidelines, Tucker said.

He said school staff was still in the process of calculating how many pupils can safely be accommodated in each classroom.

The target is for full-time classroom instruction to begin on Sept. 30, but it could be later if social-distancing cannot be maintained, or the number of COVID cases in the Laconia area should increase.

“We don’t have a lot of cases (now),” Tucker said. “We want to keep that going.”

In response to some board members’ questions about face masks, Tucker said the face coverings will be required, except when groups of students are more than 6 feet apart, or those, who because of certain physical restrictions, should not wear them, based on federal CDC guidelines.

Tucker said schools would be providing a cloth mask to each student and would also have a supply of disposable masks as a backup. He also said the district is building up an extensive inventory of cleaning supplies, PPEs, and hospital-grade disinfectant.

Business Administrator Christine Blouin said the district might have to hire more maintenance people because of the additional cleaning requirements.