Like Spencer, Rupe wants to support his students however he can.

Down the hall in Melissa Carr’s AP Chemistry class, three students complete a lab together. The small class size allows them to receive Carr’s nearly undivided attention as she also talks a student through the lab online.

The rest of the classroom is empty. Desks stand 6 feet apart, although they’re not in use at the moment. Principal Tammy Newcomb said she checked desk measurements over the summer, measuring from the middle of each seat. Red Xs mark the floor where the desks should remain.

Curriculum pacing remains the same between online and in-person in case students need to transition between the two.

That means computers are used more often than usual since teachers upload activities for students on Blackboard.

Geometry students completed their work online as teacher Hannah Blais walked around the room answering questions. Likewise, AP English students in Amanda Sabin’s class had their laptops open.

The students said they enjoyed being able to go into class to have questions answered. Being face-to-face was especially useful for certain classes, like math, they said.

Newcomb said the school averages between 400 and 420 students per day since students are divided into two groups, attending either Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday. That’s more than half of its usual population, which makes for quiet hallways even when students are transitioning between classes.