Moultonborough schools go remote until after Thanksgiving

MOULTONBOROUGH — The school district in this town managed to provide ten weeks of in-person instruction without interruption from the coronavirus. That streak ended this week with the news of a positive case over the weekend, which led the superintendent to send students home for the next two weeks.

Patrick Andrew, superintendent of Moultonborough schools, said he decided to send students home until after Thanksgiving because of a confluence of factors: the state’s contact tracers are too overwhelmed to to quickly evaluate the extent of the exposure; there’s growing transmission within the community of Moultonborough, and; too many staff members will need to quarantine as a result of this infection.

“That left us with short staff to open the Academy,” Andrew said, referring to the town’s high school. “We also had a positive case at Moultonborough Central School with a staff member.”

Closing the schools for two weeks will allow the district to gain what Andrew called a “clear picture” of exposure to the infected persons.

Also on Wednesday, students were sent home early from Gilford High School, as a result of a positive test result within that building. Superintendent Kirk Beitler said GHS students will finish this week remotely, and that no in-person instruction was scheduled for next week, anyway, meaning that Gilford High students won’t return to their school until Nov. 30. Gilford’s elementary and middle schools aren’t affected by this incident.

Andrew said that about 30 students in Moultonborough choose to learn remotely this year. The rest of the 500-plus students have been attending classes in person, five days each week. Andrew said he was pleased that classes have had the chance to form a bond which will help them proceed during remote instruction. The remote period might last longer than two weeks, he allowed, noting that the current spike in infections appeared about two weeks after Halloween. Rates might jump again after many families gather indoors for Thanksgiving.

“Probably right before Thanksgiving, we’ll take a look with nurses and the team of contact tracers from DHHS to decide if we want to extend (remote learning) a bit longer,” Andrew said. “I’m worried that there is going to continue to be significant community spread.” The state’s map of active cases, last updated on Nov. 16, listed six for Moultonborough. He said that figure could rise, especially when college students return home for the holiday.

A parent himself, Andrew said he understands how challenging it can be to lead a child through remote instruction. He suggested that families set up a dedicated workspace for the student, make and stick to a schedule, and make emotional well-being a priority.

“The most important thing is to be patient and understand how hard this is. Be patient with yourself and your kid,” Andrew said. Yes, aim for academic success, but, “do what you can get done so that it doesn’t cause your house to melt down.”