FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 Curriculum Coordinator Laura Columbia presented directors Tuesday evening with staff feedback on three models for students returning to in-person classes this school year.

Model A received the most favorable response from staff with 63% supporting the model that allows as many students possible to return to a four- or five-day in-person schedule while maintaining district protocols. The number of students permitted back on campus would still be dictated by Center for Disease Control protocols on social distancing.

The model would prioritize at-risk students who would be identified by various factors such as poor internet connectivity, poor grades and attendance, and social and emotional distress.

Farmington board member Kirk Doyle asked how at-risk students would be identified and if parents could submit a request for their student to be considered.

Columbia said a team of teachers and a guidance counselor review a student’s needs and makes a decision. Parents are part of the discussion, but not part of the procedure and do not make requests.

Farmington board member Doug Dunlap asked how many students this model would allow to return to full in-person instruction.

“If class sizes were the same size and we had the same furniture, I could give you a much better answer, but we have seven schools with all different sized classrooms so I just can’t give you that information yet,” Columbia said.

Model B allows for a full return of hybrid students Monday through Thursday with Fridays reserved as a prep day for elementary staff. For high school, Fridays would be a day of intervention for remote and struggling learners. The model was supported by 29.5% of staff.

Model C was supported by 7.4% of staff and allows for an 80% full return. Students would be placed in cohorts, or groups, and attend school four days a week.

The survey did not include an option for staff to provide feedback as to whether they preferred no schedule change for the remainder of the school year.

“I didn’t add the no-change option because I wanted to exhaust all the resources … I’m worried when we present that, that we stop our problem solving for moving forward and I don’t mean that in a bad way,” Columbia said. “There is a time when we have to say, ‘we’ve problem solved enough and this is what we’re doing.’ I’m just not there yet, but if the board would like me to move forward with that, it is something that I’ve been considering getting data on.”

Several board members expressed their desire to see surveys for the no-change option as well as parent feedback on the proposed models.

During public comment Cascade Brook School third grade teacher Sarah Reynolds told the board why she did not support any schedule changes.

“I understand the desire to get more kids back; this is what we all want and I understand the fall presents many unknowns, but a complete change to this year’s model comes with many concerns,” Reynolds said.

Among these concerns, Reynolds listed were logistical issues such as a shortage of substitute teachers, the number of close contacts that would be potentially identified with positive cases of COVID-19, and the number of teacher workshop days required to prepare for a schedule change. 

In other business, grant coordinator Sue Pratt provided an overview of potential projects that will be covered by the second round of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. The fund was established by the Education Stabilization Fund in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Proposed funding for student supports include social workers, a licensed drug and alcohol counselor, additional nurses, contracted substitutes, a remote academy, laptops for staff and other technology, summer programming and interventionists for Mt. Blue High School and the middle school.

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