RUMFORD — The Regional School Unit 10 board of directors voted 11-1 Monday to increase in-person learning at all six schools in Rumford, Mexico, Buckfield and Sumner.

Director Travis Palmer of Rumford opposed the proposal, saying, “I truly believe that we really need to address teachers’ burdens during these times. Our educators are working harder than ever in order to provide quality education. We need thoughtful practice and meticulous planning. Introducing more in-person time will not guarantee better results; our students are learning.”

Voting for the measure were Jerry Wiley and Michelle Casey, both of Buckfield, Chad Culleton of Hartford, Ashley Derouche, Peter DeFillipp and Janet Brennick, all of Mexico; Justeen LaPointe of Roxbury, Abbey Rice, Daniel Hodge and Greg Buccina, all of Rumford, and Charlie Maddaus of Sumner.

Many of the directors expressed thanks and empathy for educators and parents burdened and stressed by the problems in teaching students and students’ learning difficulties because of the yearlong pandemic.

“I really appreciate all of the work that the teachers are doing out there,” Director Chad Culleton of Hartford said. “I know it is not really an easy time. The main goal, the intent is to make this better for our students and to increase their educational opportunities. But we’re obviously going to have to roll this out at separate times, I just want everybody to keep that in mind as we move forward.”

As of March 8, the board voted to add Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. as an in-person learning day for Hartford-Sumner Elementary School in Sumner, Meroby Elementary School in Mexico and Rumford Elementary School. It means elementary students who are in-person learners will attend classes five days a week, while those who choose to learn full-time virtually from their homes continue to do so.

Until Monday, Mountain Valley High School in Rumford held two days of in-person learning and two days of virtual learning for grades 10 through 12, while students in grade 9 were in-person every day except Wednesday, which was for virtual learning.

At Buckfield Junior-Senior High School, all in-person learners attended school two days a week with Wednesdays as a virtual learning day.

Also, Mountain Valley Middle School in Mexico seventh- and eighth-graders attend school two days a week and fifth- and sixth-graders attend classes at school except Wednesdays.

With Monday’s vote, the middle and high schools will need to increase staff and additional temporary space will be sought in order to decrease or eliminate the need for teachers to be required to do both in-person and hybrid/remote teaching, the written proposal stated.

The statement also said that once staff is hired and the additional space is prepared for students, the schools will add in-person learning on Wednesdays and students will attend five days a week, eliminating the hybrid model of two days at school and two days of remote learning.

Several educators Monday spoke against adding more in-person learning days.

High school teacher Lisa Russell said the proposal made her feel “confused and concerned.”

“The plan proposed tonight feels reckless and rushed,” she said. “Bringing students back from two days a week at the high school level to five days is going to create a whole new kind of anxiety for some of these students. Another change in routine; do they really need that right now?”

Maggie Corlett, a teacher at Meroby Elementary School in Mexico, told directors that teachers who would no longer have Wednesdays for remote learners and lesson planning would suffer from a lack of preparation time and other needs.

“Our remote Wednesdays are days when we get to meet one-on-one with our remote students,” she said. “It’s the day that we build connections. It’s the day that we support and communicate with parents. And it’s the day that we address the unique needs of each of our remote students.”

Parents who are not educators spoke mostly on the side of bringing their children back to school.

Amanda Hamner, mother of an elementary student, said it was “good news” when she learned of last week’s vote to bring elementary students back to school Wednesdays.

“I know that remote learning, even for one day a week isn’t teaching my kid anything,” she said. “He wakes up on Wednesdays in tears, because he has to push buttons on the laptop.” She said the internet program Seesaw “takes like 45 minutes for him to do what should take 10 minutes on a piece of paper. It’s frustrating.”

Amy Hodsdon, a parent of sixth and eighth grade students, said she and her children feel that “remote learning is not good” for them or other students. Her eighth-grade daughter wrote a letter to the board and Hodsdon paraphrased from the letter: “Remote learning has taught her to procrastinate to the max; to save everything for Sunday night, and it leaves her feeling stranded, frustrated and stupid. I think online learning has brought stress. Stress comes from not understanding assignments and not having help right then when you need the help,” she said.

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