LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines on getting students back in schools, which it believes can be done safely.
The CDC reinforced what it had made public previously, which includes: mask-wearing, social distancing, and the disinfecting of school buildings.
This announcement comes as a school district in Lackawanna County is asking parents how they feel about having students return to the classroom full-time.
If you are a member of the North Pocono School District community, you've probably seen what’s posted on the home page of the district's website.
School officials are asking parents how they feel about having a full-time in-person return to school for grades K through 12 while keeping a virtual option.
Parent Kari Seamans of Madisonville had just taken the survey.
"I recommended I want to keep him hybrid,” Seamans said of her sixth-grader.
The CDC has released its findings that students can return to school safely as long as its guidelines are followed strictly. The guidelines reinforced safety measures previously released.
RELATED: CDC releases long-awaited guidance on reopening schools
The CDC says teachers could add more protection by getting vaccinated.
The CDC emphasized the importance of wearing masks, saying it has seen outbreaks of COVID-19 happen when masks are not being worn in schools.
Still, for parents and students in the North Pocono School District, all that doesn't have them sold.
“I'm just not ready yet because of all the different variants going around, more contagious variants. It has me a little bit on edge,” said parent Kim Crawley from Gouldsboro.
“I just think that we're still in a pandemic and we still have to watch out because it could be bad, people could be badly affected,” said Crawley’s daughter, North Pocono senior Lilyana Crawley.
“It's his safety. If he doesn't feel comfortable wanting to be surrounded by that many people, then I can't force him. Like he has an opinion and I'm going to go by his also,” said Seamans.
We did reach out to the North Pocono School District as well as the teachers union but did not hear back.