WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Parents in the Wilkes-Barre School District need to decide soon about how their child will be educated this fall. They have three options to choose from.
The options for Wilkes-Barre Area are:
- Students can attend school in person five days a week, but they'll have to wear a mask and social distance when they can.
- They can learn remotely and tune in to the classrooms in real-time five days a week.
- They can enroll in the Wilkes-Barre Area cyber-academy, which does not have a strict schedule like option 2.
Much like this marching band, carrying on with its rehearsals, schools in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District will move forward with teaching students inside its schools. It's one of three options available for students this fall, and the option Britteny Kepler is choosing for some of her children old enough to attend.
"I definitely want my children to have the opportunity to go to school. Am I worried about them going back to school? Yes. Do I feel that there are precautions that have to be made for them to go back? Yes," said Britteny Kepler.
The district says frequently touched surfaces will be cleaned several times a day, and buses and classrooms will be sanitized daily. Students will be socially distant when they can, and students and teachers will have to wear a mask at all times.
"My kids like to walk around all day with no shirts on, so for them to go to school all day with a mask on, I don't know if they can do that," Kepler said.
But with five kids at home, Kepler says this option is best for her.
"I have babies that are going to go to Head Start this year, and they have to do virtual, so I'm going to be at home spending time with them on their computer, then I would have to do it with them, so as long as my older ones are OK with going back, then I'm going to let them go."
The other two options for students are online learning—through the Wilkes-Barre Area cyber-academy or in line with the school's in-person schedule where students can tune into the classroom.
"They'll basically get to interact with the teachers and certain students being on the live, so that's what I like about it the most because you can still see his friends and stuff like that and teachers," Kiara Velezcrespo said.
That's the option Velezcrespo is choosing for her fourth-grade son.
"My reasoning for picking him to stay at home, I think it's a lot easier for him and I just think it's not safe for them to open the schools right now for kids, especially young ones like in preschool, I don't think it's a really good idea."
Teachers we spoke with say they are seeing a 50/50 split between the in-person and online options so far, but many still have to make a decision. Regardless of that decision, the district is providing every student with an electronic learning device.
The district is giving families until this Friday to choose. If no decision is made, students will automatically be enrolled in remote learning for the first semester.
Details on how to choose your options can be found on the district's website here.