HOULTON, Maine — Two new additions will soon be making their way to the Houlton Elementary and Houlton Southside schools.
The groundwork is being completed for the two modular buildings, with the hopes of placing the buildings within the next 10 days, RSU 29 Superintendent Ellen Halliday told the school board Monday, Dec. 7.
“We have not determined which classes will be in the portables as of yet,” Halliday said. “For example, we may move a non-classroom to the portable to open up a class space within the school. The library might be an example. The needs [in each school] will help to inform our decisions.”
Halliday also gave a brief update on the district’s COVID-19 status, given the uptick in cases for Aroostook County. To date the district has had three positive cases of COVID-19 from people associated with the school that have led to contact tracing.
“A significant number of students and staff were identified as close contacts,” she said. “At this time, none of the positive cases appeared to have originated at our schools. We find that to be good news because it means the things we are doing with social distancing and masks are certainly helping.”
The district identified 200 close contacts from those three positive cases. None of those 200 individuals have tested positive.
“We know that can change at any time, but what we are learning is that our procedures and safety measures are working,” she said. “None of our decisions are made in a vacuum. We have input and assistance from the Department of Education and the Maine CDC.”
The school has seen a slight increase in the number of students opting for remote learning versus in-person instruction as the number of COVID-19 cases have spiked in The County. As of Dec. 7, about 290 students out of the 1,347 total population have chosen remote learning as their preferred method of instruction.
“The number fluctuates,” she said. “Some are on the list due to exposures, some are remote until after the holidays.”
In other agenda items, the board was updated on the status of the winter sports season. The school board, back in the fall, expressed its desire to keep sports programs if at all possible during these uncertain times. As such, no official action was needed to endorse the winter sports season.
Athletes may begin conditioning drills starting Dec. 14, but no formal team activities or practices are allowed until Jan. 4. The season traditionally began the first week of December, but has been twice delayed by the Maine Principals’ Association.
“We are delaying our signups until next week,” Halliday said. “Our coaches have told us they do not feel the need for six weeks of practicing in order to be ready to play. We have tentative schedules in place. We certainly want to take a look at what is going on in our community and in our schools so that whatever we do [for sports] is the safest we can be for our students.”
During the public speaking portion of the meeting, student Mia Henderson, a junior at the school, implored the board to keep basketball on the schedule this winter.
“Basketball has always been such an important part of my life, as well as the lives of my teammates,” Henderson said. “Sports teach you to work hard, motivation and gives a sense of purpose. When you wake up in the morning, knowing that you have a game and a team to be there for, sometimes that is all you need to get you through the day.”
She said sports were essential for the mental health of many student athletes and serves as a motivational tool for obtaining good grades in the classroom.
“If those opportunities are taken away from us, the opposite will happen,” she said. “We will lose our desire to excel and make a future for ourselves. We are all willing to follow the guidelines if that means we can have a season.”
Board chairman Fred Grant thanked Henderson for speaking on behalf of the student athletes.
