Following a marathon meeting, State College votes down proposed school reopening changes
After a marathon meeting with more than six hours of discussion and dozens offering public comment, the State College Area School District will stick with its initial reopening model — voting down two proposed changes to its health and safety plan.
More than 700 people attended Monday’s virtual meeting of the SCASD board of directors, who met to discuss updated reopening guidance from the state and two suggestions for its return to school plan: A proposed total virtual reopening or a two-week test of in-person classes to be followed by remote learning as the district evaluates the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community.
The option to send kids to school for in-person learning for two weeks was added to the agenda for discussion after the idea was discussed in recent board meetings. This approach aimed to ease staff and students into going back to school and plan for the unknown by building in time to reassess and monitor any community spread.
The board voted 7-2 against this proposal, with Lori Bedell and Gretchen Brandt voting in favor.
The proposed total virtual reopening was added to the agenda after Brandt made a last-minute motion — saying that it is the safest option for staff, students and their families.
“This is, I think, at least some way to communicate to the teachers that we care about them,” Brandt said. “Even having the conversation, I think sends that message, and I would hope that we indeed do all care about them.”
Though some teachers have reached out to Brandt in private with concerns about returning for in-person learning, she said their voices have been largely absent from the decision-making process. Unsure as to why, she told the board and listeners that educators she’s spoken with are “terrified” to go back to school and are finalizing their wills in the event that they get sick.
“They don’t know what to do because they’re scared,” she added.
But the board heard from dozens of parents and students who expressed a desire to go back for in-person learning — citing quality of education, socialization and mental health as the reason why. Their comments were backed by district survey results that show 73% of district families plan to send their kids to school for physical instruction, including Superintendent Bob O’Donnell, who selected in-person learning for his family.
“We’re focused on the safety of students and employees — no doubt about it,” O’Donnell said. “And if we’re safe, I believe that students should be in school with our faculty and staff. That’s the best scenario for student learning and their well-being, and that includes all the information we’ve had from physicians, including our pediatricians.”
The virtual reopening was voted down 7-2, with Brandt and Jim Leous voting in favor of the proposal.
Recognizing that schools could close if Centre County or Pennsylvania COVID-19 cases increase as they did in March, O’Donnell said the district has plans to monitor the virus and community data. Mitigation efforts and tracking initiatives are outlined in the district’s 60-page health and safety plan, which was unanimously approved by the board and updated with last week’s guidance from the state Department of Health and Department of Education.
State College students will return to school for either in-person, remote or virtual learning — whichever they opted for — Aug. 25.
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 11:48 AM.
