Concord Schools 'Almost Certain' To Close Due To Coronavirus

CONCORD, NH — The Concord School District is preparing to possibly shut down for two to three weeks due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Franklyn Bass, the interim superintendent for SAU 8, made the announcement Saturday after hearing from many community members and working during the last few days on a possible strategy to implement some sort of distance or remote learning plan for students. In an email and phone alert, Bass said board of education members would be meeting remotely Sunday to discuss the closure.

"Let me first say that I’m almost certain Concord schools will be closed Monday, March 16," Bass said. "Students will not be returning to school for the next 2-3 weeks or until such time that DHHS and DOE officials deem it safe to return."

Bass said "many" residents of the Concord community wrote to him raising concerns especially in light of numerous schools closing around the state and across the nation. Some have also expressed concern that board members shouldn't even be meeting themselves or with the public, he said. This communication prompted him to call for a remote board meeting, which will be in nonpublic, for Sunday to discuss a closure.

Staff and administration, Bass said, will also be meeting, "in separate areas and never together," Monday and Tuesday to prepare "distance learning" modules for all students K-12.

"We will be contacting students on Wednesday to 'prep' them on the whys and wherefores behind the 'work' we are asking them to do," he said. "We have many more considerations that need to be ironed out that involve our many students 'in need' whether it be academic, social-emotional or financial."

Bass said the school district was also working with city hall to streamline communication and "triage key issues for community members" such as testing, medical personnel and outreach sites, updates, food deliveries, and other issues which will be important for families during these times of social distancing and self-quarantines.

Board of education members are facing a number of issues they need to resolve including the fiscal year 2021 school budget, a superintendent search, principal search for Concord High School, coordination with the city, working on educational plans, and other logistics.

The city of Concord has also created an extensive COVID-19 website in an effort to minimize the contact city residents have with city workers for taxes like paying property tax bills, licensing fees, searching for vital records, and other tasks which can also be done online.

"This situation is evolving daily and information will be updated as it becomes available via this web page and our social media channels," officials said. "The city’s emergency response team is evaluating information, keeping in touch with community partners (schools, universities, and other organizations) and will provide updates."

Some of those updates include whether or not programs will be available, performances at the Audi, and other events. While the library will remain open, senior programs at the citywide community center have been canceled.

What You Can Do

COVID-19, not unlike the flu and other respiratory illnesses, is spread through respiratory droplets, usually through coughing and sneezing, and exposure to others who are sick or might be showing symptoms. Take the same precautions as you would if you were sick:

• Stay home and avoid public places when sick (i.e. social distancing).
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
• Wash hands frequently.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

More information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services about coronavirus can be found here on the department's website.

• Guidance to schools can be found can be found here.
• Instructions for returning travelers to self-observe for symptoms of COVID-19 are available are available here.
• For more information on COVID-19 in NH, visit its site here.
• For the latest information from the CDC, visit its site here.

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