New Hampshire’s Private Schools See Uptick In Interest During Pandemic

Building Block Commons, a private school in Exeter, will screen students in the driveway every morning. (Sarah Gibson/NHPR)

The coronavirus pandemic is creating major problems in public schools in New Hampshire. But the picture for private schools is different.

Most independent schools are reopening in person, and as NHPR’s Sarah Gibson reports, interest in

At Building Block Commons, a private school in Exeter, farm animals are a major part of the morning routine. Goats and chickens greet students on the two-acre campus, which has a field, gardens, large tents, and access to the woods.

“We’ve always been half our day outdoors – that’s always been our goal and commitment. This year, however, we’re even more committed to it,” says director Wren Hayes, sporting a t-shirt with a picture of a tent and the words ‘Recharging Station.”

This school is built for a pandemic. 100 students are divided into socially-distanced cohorts of ten; teachers will wear masks, face shields, and use personal amplification systems to ensure students hear them; inside, classes have about $140,000 of upgrades inside to ensure good air flow and hygiene.

These are the kind of assurances that many teachers and families want before heading back to school. And with more space, a smaller student population, and fewer decision-makers, private schools can do this more easily than most public schools.

As a result, interest in many New Hampshire independent schools has increased during the pandemic, particularly in areas where public schools are opting for remote or hybrid models.

Read the rest of this story at NHPR’s website.