The Pennsbury School Board Education Committee grappled with how to consider reopening in-person classes in the district at their meeting Thursday evening.
The meeting drew negative attention from parents hoping for a quicker reopening after comments from school board members during the virtual gathering.
The school district has been criticized for not laying out a detailed plan for in-person classes since summer and committing to go all virtual until the end of January. Earlier in the week, the school board president said options for returning earlier will be reviewed.
School board members have said that they receive comments from all sides of the issue and have heard both negative and positive reviews of all-virtual learning during the pandemic.
School board member Debra Wachspress said that many parents asked for virtual classes to remain and she’s heard concerns about sending students back.
Wachspress worried over the lack of rapid testing, which was due to failure at the “highest levels” of the government, and returning students and staff to classrooms. She also pointed to concern over returning to classes during flu season.
“I understand kids are getting depressed and anxious,” she said. “So we’re going to sit here and try to make a comparison between a dead adult and a depressed kid? These are the conversations we’re having. It seems impossible to do this in a way that will satisfy everyone.”
The parent and school board member said the district is not remaining all virtual for “some exercise in insanity” but doing it to keep students and staff safe while a vaccine appears to be months away.
School Board Vice President Christine Toy-Dragoni refuted claims the board and administration are not listening.
“But you are not all of one mind,” she said, noting emails go back and forth between parents who support all virtual and those who want to return to schools.
School board member Howard Goldberg cited President Donald Trump’s quote on the COVID-19 death toll as “it is what it is,” before stating that’s not his view. He added he cares about students’ learning and the health of students and staff.
School Board President T.R. Kannan said he appreciated the feedback from all sides.
“There’s a lot of good feedback,” he said, adding that the majority of parents have not provided their opinions.
Wachspress later went on to state there might need to be a “re-do” the school year because of the pandemic, citing an expert on a podcast she listened to.
“In some situations, this year might just be a bit of a bust for some kids,” she said, citing that the district is large and that some kids might be at home “crying” over challenges while other are doing fine.
“It’s not a place I want to go where I just give up on a single kid,” she said, adding “we have to lower our expectations just a little bit to give us some breathing room.”
Superintendent Dr. William Gretzula said the administration will begin putting together a “thoughtful” updated plan for returning to school in light of COVID-19. He said it will take a few weeks to get the plan together and presented for review.
“Undeniably, for some people, kids are still struggling,” he said of virtual learning.
With reopening for in-person classes, the district has a number of challenges to get past, including making sure case rates are low, safety measures are in place, and there is enough staff.
One possible scenario would be reopening first for students with special learning needs and younger students starting in late fall.
Gretzula said Pennsbury’s proposed hybrid model from summer was one of the most effective in state, according to what he was told.
While buildings have been closed, district has been completing repair work, HVAC maintenance, staff training on cleaning and spotting symptoms, tracking COVID-19 supplies, stocking up on personal protective equipment, establishing isolation areas, triage training for nurses, purchased desk partitions, and getting hand sanitizer dispensers.
Gretzula said the administration has been hearing from families about their concerns and also working to improve virtual learning. He cited a number of parts of virtual learning that are well received.
The superintendent said academic coaching is available for all grade levels.
Gretzula said youngest learners are often having the most issues. He said the staff realizes many virtual learning challenges, including distractions.
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