SCRANTON, Pa. — UPDATE:
Children will head back into Scranton school buildings.
During a five-hour meeting, the Scranton School Board voted just after midnight to start in-person learning.
Published reports say elementary students will return to the classroom as early as next month under a hybrid model.
Students will spend two days in the classroom, and three days learning virtually.
Students haven't stepped in a classroom since last March in the Scranton School District.
Original story:
The Scranton School Board is set to debate a reopening plan for the Scranton School District.
Students in the district haven't set foot in a classroom since March of 2020. Instruction in the district has been all virtual ever since.
School directors are set to discuss a reopening plan that could have some of the district's students returning to in-person learning by this March.
The teachers' union is apprehensive.
"First and foremost, we need to know that the buildings are correctly ventilated, and as everyone has been following in the news, we have issues with that in Scranton. Any school district like ours, any city school district across the country is going to have the same issues we have," said Rosemary Boland, Scranton Federation of Teachers.
Boland says she would also like to see all of the district's staff vaccinated before reopening schools.
The proposed plan has pitted teachers against parents who have juggled virtual learning now for almost a year. Scranton is one of the only districts in our area that hasn't returned to any in-person learning, and parents would like to see some movement toward a reopening in Scranton.
"I've seen what other districts can do, and while we have a lot more, a lot more challenges, just getting a transparent response from the board and administration would help alleviate a lot of the concerns that the parents and teachers are having right now," said parent Danielle Chesek.
School Board President Katie Gilmartin says she's still uncertain about how she will vote on reopening schools, and she might considering delaying any decision until at least later in the week after the Centers for Disease Control releases a national school reopening plan.
"We all want what's right for students, and we want to support parents, and we want to make sure educators feel comfortable going to work. It's just a big machine and there are so many moving parts. But, you know, the enemy is the pandemic, not each other," Gilmartin said.
Gilmartin says some parents have become frustrated watching other districts send their students back to class, while some parents, like Tara Muklewicz, don't think Scranton can be compared to the rest.
"Just the sheer size of the district makes it an extra challenge to put these kids in a classroom and social distance them. Even if we're putting the numbers in half and going hybrid, this is still a challenge for us. That's my only thing. I don't like when Scranton is compared to other districts. It's not one size fits all for every district," said Muklewicz.
Scranton teachers are apprehensive, too. The teachers' union has asked that all staff members be vaccinated before a reopening. Teachers want a plan from the board for social distancing and proper ventilation in school buildings.
Boland believes there's no need to rush back to class.
"There is no reason to get excited; there isn't. I don't see any reason for this. I don't see why anybody would stress out over this. We've been successful. We're in a rhythm with virtual learning. We need some time to get this all figured out."