Sixth and seventh graders at Bath Middle School can return to full in-person learning on April 5, but a shortage of teachers remains the major hurdle to clear before other Regional School Unit 1 middle and high school classes can resume full in-person instruction.

Hiring new staff members to teach smaller groups of students remains the universal barrier Bath Middle School, Woolwich Central School and Morse High School before they can welcome all students back full-time. Few people have applied for open positions and school principals are wondering what can be done in the remainder of the academic year.

“We have students on the precipice of graduation here and making progress toward these goals,” said Morse High School Principal Eric Varney. “I wouldn’t want to do something that is so significant of a change that it throws some students off on a groove they have to meet their academic goals.”

Although full in-person learning may not be possible for all RSU 1 students this academic year, board member Jamie Dorr asked whether a smaller version of Varney’s “distance learning hub” idea is able to happen in the remainder of the school year. Rather than focus on hiring qualified teachers, Dorr said the hubs could be staffed by “trusted, caring adults” from the community who would be available to help students navigate their remote classes.

Dorr said the idea could both help students who learn better in an in-person learning model and identify students whose mental health could be suffering. Dorr said spring and early summer are the highest risk times for youth suicide, so she’s worried a student in distress is less likely to be noticed by a teacher or peers when they’re not in school full time.

Both Varney and Woolwich Central School Principal Jason Libby said they’d look into whether the idea is possible for their schools.

“The board remains committed to getting our kids back in class as quickly and safely as possible,” said board Chairman Stephen August. “It was always going to be an incremental process and we see that continuing. We’ll continue this effort until we reach a point when we run out of time.”

Bath Middle School Principal Brandon Ward told the RSU 1 board Monday he was able to hire three new staff members to break up the sixth and seventh grades, but needs one more staff member to split the eighth-grade class, the largest in the school, before the class can return to full in-person learning.

Libby told the board last month he needs at least two new teachers. He has received three applications for the positions, said but none would be the right fit for the school.

Varney said he has been looking to hire five new ed techs to staff a temporary “distance learning hub,” a warm place with Wi-Fi and a few adult mentors where students can go to complete their online learning.

“I haven’t had many applicants at all for those positions and certainly nothing adequate to move forward with that plan, so that’s disappointing,” said Varney. “We’re not going to be able to find the staffing to open a distance-learning hub and it’s time to explore other options.”

Varney said creating the temporary learning hub was his preferred method to bring more students back to in-person learning because classroom size within Morse High School remains a large obstacle. Varney said he’s also hesitant to drastically change students’ learning schedules so late in the academic year when they may have grown comfortable in their alternative schedules.

RSU 1 Superintendent Patrick Manuel named May 1 as the date when the district will stop trying to find a way for students to return to full in-person learning and resign themselves to finishing the school year in whatever learning model a school is in now.

Morse High School, Bath Middle School and Woolwich Central School’s middle schoolers are following a part-time in-person and remote learning plan. Students have been split into two groups that have in-person instruction for two days each week.

Phippsburg Elementary School, Dike Newell School, Fisher Mitchell School, and Woolwich Central School grades pre-kindergarten through fifth grade have all returned to full in-person learning. Bath Regional Career and Technical School, which shares a building with Morse High School, moved to four days of in-person instruction each week earlier this month.

RSU 1 serves Bath, Phippsburg, Arrowsic and Woolwich. As of Tuesday, the district has reported 21 total COVID-19 cases across all six schools, according to the district’s website.

Spring sports cleared 

Morse High School will offer outdoor track, baseball, softball, tennis and lacrosse this spring after spring sports were denied a season last year due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

“It has been about 21 months since we last played anything in the spring,” said Morse High School Athletic Director Nathan Priest. “To have an opportunity to have a full season this year is going to mean a lot for the students, especially for this year’s seniors.”

About 175 of Morse High School’s roughly 600 students play a spring sport, according to Priest.

Priest said the school will follow all COVID-19 guidelines the Maine Principal’s Association released earlier this month, which require all players, coaches and spectators to wear a face mask at all times and maintain physical distance from others.

Spectators are also allowed at games, but the attendance limit is dictated by Gov. Janet Mills’ gathering limits. Effective March 26 the gathering limit for outdoor activities will increase to 75% of total occupancy. On May 24, the limit will increase to 100%.

The association also allows for cross-state competition, meaning Morse High School spring athletes can play teams from around the state rather than being limited to schools in neighboring counties.