JAY — Regional School Unit 73 will offer remote learning options this fall for families who prefer not to  send their children to school.

“The survey indicates many families want a remote learning choice regardless of how RSU 73 schools reopen this fall,” Superintendent Scott Albert told directors at Thursday night’s board meeting.

A special board meeting was set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, at Spruce Mountain Middle School and via Zoom to finalize reopening plans.

The district’s reopening committee has been looking at several plans but the work is complicated by changing requirements from the Maine Department of Education, Albert said.

“All students 2 years old and up and staff will be required to wear masks throughout the school day,” Albert said. “These are requirements, not recommendations. RSU 73 has already received personal protective equipment. Additional PPE is coming from the state.”

Each school already has a dedicated COVID-19 isolation room selected and new signs will be in place, he said.

“Local school boards, using guidelines from the MDOE and the (Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention), will make the ultimate decision on reopening, which is new,” Albert said. “About two weeks ago we were told it would be a state decision.”

DOE and CDC are expected to release countywide risk advisories July 31.

There are three options for learning: in-person instruction, online home instruction and a mix of the two.

The risk advisories are color-coded: green for relatively low risk for COVID-19, meaning resumption of in-person instruction is allowed; yellow for elevated risk, meaning the hybrid model is recommended; and red for high risk with online learning recommended, Albert said.

“A green rating doesn’t mean you can automatically come back to school full force,” he said. “We still have to follow all mandates, including number of students on a bus, how far they need to be spread out. We’re waiting on updates on that piece.

“We split counties. Other school boards are in the same boat,” he said. “We could have green for Franklin County or end up with yellow or red from Androscoggin County. Lewiston/Auburn have higher counts.”

RSU 73 includes Jay in Franklin County and Livermore and Livermore Falls in Androscoggin County.

Should RSU 73 receive the green rating, the remote option will be offered.

“We understand people are scared, nervous,” Albert said. “We want to make sure our kids are educated in our district.”

“RSU 73 will continue to update the community as we can,” he said.

Director Phoebe Pike asked about special needs students with sensory issues who may not be able to wear a mask.

“Some students need direct interaction to go about their daily routines,” she said. “Are they required to do remote learning or will another option be available to them?”

Accommodations are being made for shields, not masks, but in some cases that can still be difficult, Albert said.

“I’ll be talking with the special education director, our lawyers,” he said. “If we are fully remote, one option is to bring in special needs students in the areas of life skills and behavior. They need that face-to-face interaction.”

Director Lynne Ouellette asked if a family could change from remote learning partway through the year.

“They would have to wait until the end of the grading period,” Albert said. “It could really mess up scheduling, busing.”

If a hybrid of in-school and online learning is offered, the district will work to keep family members attending school on the same days.

“We know it’s difficult for a lot of these families with younger children if no one is at home to watch them,” Albert said.

Student Director Taylor Guay asked if high school students with vehicles would have an option to attend more hands-on classes instead of learning remotely.

“Principal TJ Plourde and I are looking at that,” Albert said. “There are three options to vote on as part of our plan. We’re waiting to hear what Foster Career and Technical Education Center wants to do. We know how important it is for those kids to have that hands-on learning.”

In other business, the board voted to change Aug. 31 to a teacher workshop day and make March 18, 2021, a student instruction day. Doing so will allow more time for reopening plans. Prekindergarten classes will start Sept. 3 and the first two Wednesdays in September will be regular days, not late arrival days.

Board Chairman Robert Staples welcomed new board members Elaine Fitzgerald of Jay, who replaced Dale Leblanc, and Patrick Milligan of Livermore Falls, who replaced Tammy Frost.

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