SAD 4 directors approve reentry plan

GUILFORD — Piscataquis Community Secondary School and Piscataquis Community Elementary School students will be back in the building at least four days per week depending on the school — a remote learning option will be available for families choosing this method of instruction — when classes resume Sept. 2-3, as part of a reentry plan approved by the school board during an Aug. 11 meeting at PCES.

Superintendent Kelly MacFadyen said the document will likely be ever-changing as the academic year proceeds. “As everyone knows this is a moving target, ever since March we have been trying to determine how to proceed,” she said.

MacFadyen said the reentry plan was developed with Maine Department of Education (MDOE) and Maine CDC guidelines, including a community transmission risk level for students, staff and families. “They tell you the level of risk and give you guidelines so you can pick what happens,” she said.

“We are fortunate we are small enough we can proceed in-person,” the superintendent said. The 500-plus SAD 4 students can attend classes in the two buildings while still being socially distanced.

SAD 4, like all districts across the state, has been designated green under the MDOE’s three-tiered health advisory system to start the school year — this stoplight color status will be updated every two weeks. MacFadyen said the lowest risk designation allows for the in-person learning “and we have chosen to have a remote learning component if parents choose.”

She said guidelines for students, families and employees is part of the entry plan, and this information will be posted at www.sad4.org. MacFadyen has leeway to update these during the school year.

The superintendent said parents/guardians will do daily self-assessments of children to see how they are feeling, and if under the weather the students are asked to stay home with further guidelines to be followed. MacFadyen said district officials have decided not to proceed with the use of scanners at the front door when the pupils arrive.

“I’m really trying to educate the importance of keeping your kid home if they’re not feeling well,” SAD 4 Nurse Weny Viera said.

“All students are required to wear face-covering masks,” MacFadyen said, mentioning there will be designated break times from the attire. She said students will be provided with two masks but children can bring in their own if these are preferred.

Masks can be taken off for meals, and MacFadyen said both schools will use the gymnasiums for serving. She said more tables have been purchased with grant funds.

“We’re encouraging parents to bring their children to and from school,” the superintendent said, saying a parent survey indicated about half of responders could do so whereas the other half needed district transportation. “At this time we are allowed to have 27 students on a bus.”

She said each of the half dozen vehicles would each have a bus monitor to ensure students are following procedures, and these temporary positions would also be grant-funded.

MacFadyen said should the color designation change to yellow with an elevated risk, then students would be divided into a pair of cohorts. One group would attend classes in the building two days a week with three days of remote learning, while the second cohort would attend two different days with the other three days being remote.

A red designation would mean everyone is learning remotely. MacFadyen said should families choose remote learning then they would remain with this method of instruction for the entire ranking period, and vice versa.

PCES Principal Anita Wright said she wanted to clarify that there are two options under the green designation for elementary students, in-person each day of the week and elected remote learning.  She said a parents information night was scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14, and this session would be recorded and posted on the SAD 4 site. She said open houses would be split among grades and taking place between August and September.

PCSS Principal John Keane said the grade 7-12 parents night was set for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12. 

“What does green look like for the high school,” he said. “Green is a choice between four and one and remote.”

Keane said students choosing in-person learning at PCSS will attend classes Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday will be a day to come in for extra help or other reasons, or do schoolwork at home via a remote study day. 

“They have to attend one way or another,” he said. Keane said classes at the Tri-County Technical Center in Dexter will be held on Wednesdays.

Keane said under yellow status, PCSS students would also be split into two cohorts with one attending Monday and Tuesday and the other Thursday and Friday with the opposite pair of days being remote.

“Red is when all students are remote,” he said.

“Breakfast and lunch, as you heard, we are having to use the gym and the cafeteria,” the principal said. “We are thinking we won’t have to change the times.”

When asked, Keane said a floor protector would be used in the gym and there is now a curtain to help separate student groups.

“We are not allowing students to stay after school this year,” he said. “So Wednesdays are a day for a lot of activities,” such as co- and extracurriculars. Keane said sports are on as of now, with the Maine Principal’s Association working on guidelines for reduced regional schedules.

“Grading and credits, no matter which scenario we go to, are the same,” he said.

Keane said the cohorts will be based on bus routes. He said the group planning is not as difficult for the seventh- and eighth-graders as for the high schoolers with their greatly varying schedules.

During his report Keane said that PCSS officials have also been busy with all the other preparations being made for the start of school, such as freshman orientation.

“As Mr. Keane said we still have been doing all our normal planning on top of the COVID work,” MacFadyen said. She mentioned summer projects have included paving at PCES, resurfacing the track, paving the PCMS play area and installing basketball hoops and painting the posts for the entrance sign.

“I think all the coaching staff has stayed the same,” she said with the exception of Tom Panciera moving up to coach the PCHS girls soccer team. Other coaches are Trey Gilbert, boys soccer; Emily Wilson, field hockey; Brain Gaw, PCMS boys soccer; and Jessica Gregory, PCMS field hockey.

MacFadyen said the PCMS girls soccer position is still to be filled, but there is a likely possibility that fall middle school sports will be canceled. 

“We do have two grants, we have our regular CARES Act and more money was released by the Governor’s office under CFR,” she said.

MacFadyen said SAD 4 received nearly $470,800, which needs to be spent by the end of the year. Monies will be used to pay for temporary school and bus monitors, desks to replace tables so students can be spaced three feet apart, a remote learning coordinator, licensing for online curriculum, new handicapped-acessible bus and van for additional spacing, outdoor seating in the courtyard for expanded eating and classroom space during good weather.

She said the MDOE is delivering PPE to supplement the required supply.