MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — The Pleasant Valley School District is just about three weeks into the school year. Students are either learning in a hybrid format or completely online. For those enrolled in cyber schooling, it's been a frustrating start. Parents Newswatch 16 spoke with say children don't have supplies they need to learn, and trying to get answers from the district has been nearly impossible.
Christine Higgins from Chestnuthill Township has two children in the Pleasant Valley School District.
Both are juniors in high school and opted to learn virtually this year due to the pandemic though Higgins says there hasn't been much learning since Pleasant Valley Cyber Academy began classes earlier this month.
"Cyber was supposed to start initially on the first day of school, which was August 31. It was pushed back to September 8, and since then, we've had absolutely no updates, and there hasn't been any learning for them that has commenced," said Higgins.
On a Facebook page called "Parents of PV Cyber Academy Students," there are plenty of other parents voicing their frustrations.
Some of the common complaints are with the online server not working, some say their children are still waiting for supplies, others say they have been waiting days for a response from the district.
The district superintendent tells Newswatch 16, there are technical issues with the vendor being used for the cyber academy. Those issues are being worked out, and hope to have a resolution soon.
Parents understand this is a frustrating time for students, teachers, and district officials, but all they really want are answers and to get their kids back to learning.
"I want an education for my kids," said Higgins. "They cannot sit here having nothing to do, and we are approaching the end of September, and they are in 11th grade. They are both college-bound, they both have bright futures ahead of them, and this year they were counting on making a difference to try and get help for college, and again, are starting at a deficit already, and it's not due to their own fault."
Rebecca Castro's daughter is going to school on a hybrid format at Pleasant Valley.
"It's going to be crazy, it's very challenging," said Castro. "As far as my daughter is concerned, she's doing OK, hanging in there. Everyone is doing the best they can right now."