Community Conflicted over Academy Reopening
By Otto Do and Andrea Luo
Since the Academy announced its reopening plan on June 30, students, faculty and town residents alike have expressed mixed sentiments. The Academy has coordinated with engineering firms, medical specialists and town officials to form a comprehensive return plan, with a focus on safety and equity. As of August 31, 100 students out of the Academy’s 1104 students, day students included, have elected to spend their fall term at home.
The Academy’s plan includes three standard phases of testing: before students travel, before students arrive on campus and directly afterwards, according to the Student Guidebook. The first two weeks after arrival will be primarily dorm-bound since students are prohibited from leaving campus before being cleared. The Academy will also require daily symptom check-ins and test 20% of the student population every week after initial testing concludes.
The Academy outlined their response to students breaching COVID-19 preventative measures in the Student Guidebook. “Students who intentionally breach these protocols, or who repeatedly breach these protocols—intentionally or not—will be sent home to continue their studies remotely,” the Student Guidebook read.
Medical Director Dr. Katharina Lilly expressed optimism concerning the Academy's policies this fall term. “It is exceptionally reassuring that New Hampshire has such a low activity level of the virus,” Lilly said. “We are also learning from peer schools in the U.S. and abroad that have re-opened before us.” Lilly noted that the Academy re-opened in the interest of equitable learning and community safety.
Rising senior Jaekeb Harper said the option to return was particularly important for Exonians with difficult circumstances at home. “We must remember that not all Exonians are lucky enough to be able to functionally work at home,” Harper said. “Many of us may not have our own space, supportive parents or any number of other things necessary to succeed at Exeter. It is my understanding that this term will not be pass/fail; there is too much on the line not to give the students that may desperately need to return the opportunity to do so.”
An anonymous faculty member noted that reopening was also in the interest of the staff. Continued closure may have led to the termination of some employees. “Part of the ethos of the Academy’s adult community is our deep concern for one another’s health and safety,” the faculty member wrote. “If the Academy were to close, many a heart weighs heavily on how colleagues’ livelihoods could be affected because of not having students on campus.” In March, the Academy committed to regular pay for all staff members until May.
Though reopening presents benefits, health risk concerns remain. Classics Instructor Paul Langford has chosen to work remotely from his off-campus residence this fall. “Since I fall into a seriously at-risk group due to my age, I will not participate in any in person classes,” Langford said.
An anonymous faculty member, who resides on campus, disagrees about the Academy’s choice to bring students back. “I have a family with young children, and the deleterious behavior of COVID-19 with the many unknowns make it very risky to be exposed to so many people from so many parts of the world,” they said.
The anonymous faculty member took particular concern in the laxness students were afforded before their arrival. “Yes, students were told to quarantine, but there’s no way of knowing that they did. The return of students adds unneeded stressors on the faculty here… the quiet threat and rapid spread of the virus, which can be asymptomatic, is not something to expose the faculty body to,” they said.
Others in the education community echoed this faculty member’s concerns. In mid-July, a group of boarding school community members—writing as the Pandemic Schools Team (TPSP)—distributed a statement asking schools to close. The team’s statements garnered 445 signatures across 54 boarding schools, as well as over 2500 signatures across over 300 day schools. As of Sep. 13, one Exeter staff member and 30 faculty members have signed the statement, out of the 858 that the Academy currently employs.
When asked for comment, TPSP explained the reason for their inter-school collaboration. “We started getting reports from teachers all over the country about how schools had completely dismissed their concerns, if they’d had any input at all,” they said.
According to the group, many faculty across schools shared “a deep fear of retaliation” should they choose to speak up. “Many faculty are in agreement with the statement but are afraid to sign for fear that they will lose their jobs,” the team added.
Click here to view their full statement.
English Instructor and Webster Dorm Head Alex Myers noted, though, that any plan can only ensure a limited amount of comfort. “I think the Academy has put a lot of time and effort into making the best plan they can. ‘Comfortable’ is a high standard in the midst of a pandemic. I think the plan is thorough and well-thought out,” Myers said. “But this is, for me, a time of much anxiety and concern … so ‘comfort’ is not exactly what I’m feeling.”
Rising senior Hassane Fiteni noted that his duties as a student leader became one of the deciding factors in his decision to return. “I felt that I had a responsibility to return to be a leader in the two extracurricular activities I’m most invested in—the Daniel Webster Debate Society and the Chinese Language Society,” he said.
Town residents also voiced their opinions on reopening. According to Town Manager Russ Dean, “the town realizes that the Academy is such a large contributor socially and economically to the town. I believe our businesses will be glad to see PEA reopen, not just from a normalcy perspective, but from an economic perspective.” When reached for comment, multiple town businesses as well as town residents welcomed students openly.
At an Exeter Select Board meeting on August 31, Principal William Rawson announced that students on campus now will not be allowed into town until after those returning in October are cleared from quarantine. ″[We’re not making the decision] lightly, we like having the town use our trails and feel comfortable coming on our campus,” Rawson said in the meeting, according to The Seacoast Online. “[But] while we’re in this quarantine period with very tight restrictions, we also think it’s prudent to not have the town come on campus.”
“We’re happy to work with the academy in any way we can to (keep) the pipelines of food (moving),” Dean concluded in the town hall, according to The Seacoast Online.
Despite the irregularity of this fall, incoming preps are still eager for an on-campus prep fall experience. “[My decision to go on campus] came down to being a new prep,” prep Amber Zou said.“I have been waiting for this opportunity for ages… even if it wasn’t the prep fall I imagined.”
Rising upper Shalom Headly, who has decided to stay home, foresees complications despite best intentions. “Even if I tried to follow all the rules and procedures, I would still most likely end up breaking some… In turn, I could be putting my life and the life of others at risk,” Headly said.
In addition to consideration for her own health, new upper Emma Liu considered the impact her decision inevitably will have on the greater Exeter community. “Returning to campus in the fall means I’m not only responsible for my health... but also those who are more vulnerable to COVID-19,” she said. “To me, it seems more responsible to stay home and minimize contact with others so that those in high-risk categories can also feel safer, even if this means sacrificing my first term here.”
Though opinions diverged on reopening plans, many stressed that adhering to guidelines will be imperative. “[The Academy’s plan] is a huge logistical undertaking, so there are still details to work out, and its success will depend on the unfailing compliance of all members of the school community,” Langford said.