BRUNSWICK — Brunswick high schoolers will be going to school in person twice a week, increasing from once per week as the COVID-19 pandemic grinds on.
The change, approved by the school board in an 8-1 vote last week, likely will go into effect March 1, according to a statement from Superintendent Phillip Potenziano.
Since reopening in September, the Brunswick High School has been offering a hybrid in-person program as well as fully remote option to students as a result of the pandemic.
Board member Joy Prescott voted against the motion.
“I do want to recognize that we have at least two stakeholder groups that have significantly different perspectives,” Prescott told board members Feb. 2. “We definitely heard very strong perspectives from parents that felt that their students should be in class and we certainly heard as well from teachers and staff that have very strong reservations about switching their schedule at this point.”
Personal protective equipment, such as masks, face shields and plexiglass dividers are available to teachers who request them, Potenziano said in the board meeting.
While more school districts are pushing to get back to in-person learning, some parents and school employees have reservations.
“I don’t want a dead kid,” said Jenny Chartier, parent to a Brunswick High School student. “Yes, he is young and healthy but young and healthy people are dying all the time of it. If they cared about the kids, they’d care about keeping them safe.
“I’m already uncomfortable with the amount of exposure he’s having to other kids and teachers now, but I think it’s important that they at least go the one day a week, so that they have the ability to socialize a little bit,” Chartier added. “I don’t think they should cut the time out, but I don’t think they should add any more right now considering the outbreak they just had at the elementary school.”
The new schedule, which was proposed by high school Principal Troy Henninger, also includes additional time in the afternoon for clubs and extra help from teachers.
“It’s not a matter of just turning the switch on and having students come back, there is a significant amount of programming and resources that again need to be reallocated,” Potenziano said at the board meeting.
While 53% of students and 76% of parents are in favor of the extra in-person day, 64.6% of teachers are not, according to the surveys presented in the board meeting.
Students who are opting to study completely remote will continue to be allowed to under the new schedule.
Henninger also said that families and students who are content with the current schedule of one day a week in-person can remain on that schedule.
As of Friday, Feb. 5 there are zero active COVID-19 cases and 11 recovered cases at Brunswick High School, according to the School Department’s COVID-19 Dashboard.
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