On Wednesday night, Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. John Goldhardt and several other local school leaders took to Facebook Live for a town hall to answer questions directly from members of the community. Here are some of the highlights. The town hall video can be found below:
Re-opening Manchester’s Schools and Plans for the Fall
While Goldhardt said that he prefers in-person learning, the top priority is the safety of students and remote learning won’t be phased out until safety can be assured for all students, including students at Manchester School of Technology who are taking classes that require hands-on training.
He also noted that state and federal recommendations for what is needed for reopening schools is changing rapidly, sometimes by the hour.
Along with Assistant Superintendent Jen Gillis, Goldhardt discussed the possibility of “hybrid” classrooms where some students participate remotely to ensure some students can get in-person instruction while ensuring social distancing.
Fall Sports
So far, there has been no guidance on tryouts from the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association, but that guidance is expected within the next week.
Graduation Date
No announcement has been made yet, a decision is coming early next week.
Credits for High School Graduation
One of Goldhardt’s initiatives is to increase the number of credits needed for graduation from 20 to 28, although this will only apply to incoming freshmen next fall (Class of 2025) and subsequent classes, with current high school students bound to the current threshold.
The Summer
All summer programs will be done remotely and meal delivery will be continued on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.