Concord High Administrators Attempt To Dampen Issues On ‘Main Street’

CONCORD, NH — Administrators at Concord High School are working to dampen down disruptive behavior between classes after an increase in territorial activity, pushing and shoving, foul language, and other issues, mostly along the school’s “Main Street” corridor.

Michael Reardon, the school’s principal, told the students Monday they would not be able to hang around or stop and meet with friends between classes until further notice.

The changes were made after unruly behavior, especially among younger students. Students have about 6 minutes between classes where they can sometimes congregate and chat between periods. It has rarely been an issue. But of late, there have been problems — especially around who was allowed and who was not in certain sections of Main Street. Reardon likened it to, “This is our spot; you can’t stand here” issues between students, which led to “the harassment and intimidation” of others.

“It’s not a huge thing,” Reardon said on Tuesday. “But it is troubling.”

Not unlike other issues this year, like an increase in graffiti in the bathrooms, there have been some problems with students falling back into place or attaining “normalcy” in the wake of the disruption of the coronavirus pandemic.

Reardon said it was a good thing students could find the time to congregate for a few minutes before class and hang out with their friends. At the same time, when fights break out, or the students begin using language that he described as “disturbing,” a change had to be made.

“That was the most troubling part,” he said. “98 percent of the rest of the kids feel uncomfortable.”

Reardon said he was using the opportunity to “focus lessons on civility” with the students who were all of the younger grades. In his announcement Monday to students, he told them if they asked random people about what schools and education were for, most would answer the academic aspect — to learn English, mathematics, world languages, and so on. But just as important was for schools to teach students how to conduct themselves in society.

“How we learn to maneuver through the countless interactions we have each day while balancing our dignity with respect for the rights and dignity of others,” he said. “This is a test we all face every day in school or out, and that’s never going to change.”

Reardon said the school had done a lot of work around restorative justice, social and emotional learning, and orienting the younger students who are not as used to unstructured environments and being inside such a large school. Officials are considering expanding freshman orientation to four days during the summer to add an extra “transition up” opportunity so students “feel safe and comfortable.” About two-thirds of freshmen participated last year. Reardon hopes to get that number up to 90 percent this summer.

“No one, certainly not me, wants a school where bathrooms have to be shut down or to have open places in our school where students can’t talk with their friends, but the foundation of our school is the emotional and physical safety of every student,” he told students on Monday. “While that standard’s not being met, things are not going to be normal.”

Reardon said the Main Street closure would be in place until things get back to normal. After that, the privileges may return … hopefully before the end of the school year, which is weeks away.

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel.