The Edgecomb School Committee unanimously accepted the advisory committee's reopening plan and the revised school year calendar Aug. 10. The plan works off the state's recommendation for all school districts to return to full capacity while working within the Maine Center for Disease Control's guidelines for reopening. The calendar pushes back the start date to Sept. 8, splits the academic year into trimesters and keeps all students home for distance learning on Wednesdays so teachers can prepare material for students opting for distance learning, keeps office hours and reserves time for professional development.

“(Pediatricians) all feel it's most important for us to get our kids in school as much as we can in order to take care of their learning," said Principal Ira Michaud. “That's why we're moving in this direction at this time.”

The plan also calls on 69 survey responses from students’ homes in which nearly 70% said they preferred an in-school model. Responses opting for distance learning or unenrollment said their concerns were over either Maine CDC guidelines or immunocompromised students or family members, said Michaud.

Students and staff will complete a symptoms check at home every morning via an app, email, or by telephone and any students or staff who think they might be sick should stay home, Michaud said. EES will not conduct universal testing before the school year because the district is a low-risk for virus spread.

If a student appears to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 while at school, they will be moved to one of two isolation rooms and staff will contact the Department of Education and CDC for guidance.

Said Michaud, “For this, it's really essential that we have the most accurate, up-to-date phone numbers as possible so that we can have families respond as quickly as they can … In order to return to school, students or staff must be fever free … for 24 hours after isolating for 10 days. Parents should follow all healthcare recommendations and CDC guidance.”

EES aims to keep buses on the 7:30 a.m. schedule so there is enough time to shift students safely into the school building and shift off-peninsula students traveling to Boothbay Region Elementary or High schools. Students will be appropriately spaced on the bus and plans for multiple bus runs will be assessed once administrators can establish how many students will be arriving by car. The survey indicated about 75% of students will be able to pass on bus transportation and a delivery schedule will be created to prevent congestion in the EES parking lots.

Michaud said all students and staff will be trained on appropriate hand washing and there will be stations inside and outside every classroom. For in-person instruction to resume, all students and staff must wear face masks or face coverings inside the building. The only exceptions will be lunchtime and outdoor educational time when students can be at least six feet apart at which time masks will not be necessary.

“If for some reason someone has a medical condition that does not allow for them to wear a mask, then families could ask their doctor to (provide) a note just indicating they have a condition and would need to wear a face shield rather than a face mask.”

Students will be divided into cohorts kept apart as much as possible, said Michaud. Cohorts will be separate except for lunch, special assemblies and recess. In several instances, teachers will swap classrooms instead of having entire cohorts moving classroom to classroom.

“We are setting outdoor learning stations up and I'm encouraging teachers to do as much outdoor teaching as possible.”

Administrators have also considered a hybrid model – one with face-to-face and distance learning – should families become concerned about plans, but data based on the surveys showed most respondents support a full back-to-school model. Michaud said after the committee approved the plan he would be calling every household to learn what families are deciding.

“We also want to know – have people changed their minds? Having done the survey three or four weeks ago, people may have a different idea than what they were thinking at the time. So, it's worth it to have a direct check-in so I have a better idea. Then we'll be able to do better planning …”

Voting announcement

Committee Chair Tom Abello reminded Edgecomb voters, town meeting is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, by secret ballot; absentee ballots are available and are due back to the town office by 4 p.m. Aug. 29. Voters can cast ballots in person from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout August. The school budget has a 0% tax increase.

Said Abello, “The selectmen have opposed several pieces of our budget. That includes the overall number of the budget and includes the fund for the roof and the emergency fund. We're disappointed by that, but we feel like this is a really good budget. If you look at other towns, a 0% tax increase is an outlier ... Everyone is bringing a pretty significant tax increase in the 5-10% (range). We encourage you to vote as best as you can …”