Western tech center to open with in-person classes
LIMERICK » Students from three area school districts will attend half-day classes at the Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center in person when school starts in the fall.
The decision was made in a 7-2 vote Monday by the joint operating committee, which includes school board members from Pottsgrove, Spring-Ford and Upper Perkiomen school districts.
Voting no were Ashley Custer, from Pottsgrove, and Tom DiBello from SpringFord, said Pottsgrove Superintendent William Shirk. The “superintendent of record” designation for the western center rotates among the three districts and this year, it is Shirk.
“I think its a step in the right direction for us,” Shirk told the Pottsgrove School board at its Aug. 11 meeting. “We don’t have the space to make it work here,” he said of a similar option for Pottsgrove.
“We’re confident we can operate in a safe manner,” Shirk said.
The rationale for the decision has several factors, according to information discussed at the Pottsgrove meeting,
First, the size of the school and the classrooms are large enough that it is not difficult for students to socially distance.
And because students only attend either morning or afternoon classes, there are never more than 350 students in the building at a time, according to the health and safety plan approved by the JOC and posted on the school’s website.
All students will be required to wear masks at all times, except during designated breaks. Masks have been ordered to provide for students or staff who arrive without them.
The school has upgraded its HVAC system and installed Dyson air purifiers and large fans for exterior labs. However, Pottsgrove
School Board member Jim Lapic noted that nothing on the Dyson website indicates that its equipment is effective at preventing the spread of coronavirus.
Also, because of the nature of classes at the center, there is less mixing in the halls and common areas as classes tend to have fewer students in a larger area who stay together for the half-day, thus making contact tracing less complicated, should it become necessary.
Staff will be training to recognize symptoms and will be provided with thermometers.
School officials said that hands-on experience for tech students, particularly those who attend the school to get certifications to help them get jobs after graduation is necessary.
“Most of our programs are training students as essential workers in vital industries,” according to the plan. “This training is imperative for the success of our students and the industries in which they represent.”
Custer said Tuesday she voted no because she feels
“there are too many holes in the plan and I felt the teachers were not adequately consulted.”
Jay Strunk, Pottsgrove’s newest board member, said he observed the JOC meeting and is comfortable with the plan, noting “there are few times when the halls are full.”
Pottsgrove Board member Patricia Grimm said teachers will have plexiglass shields mounted in front of their desks.
The school also has plans for the all on-line instruction if a surge in coronavirus cases in Montgomery County forces the closure of schools again, as it did in March.
As of Thursday, two of the sending districts — Pottsgrove and Spring-Ford — have already decided to begin the school year with online instruction only.
The agenda for the Upper Perkiomen School Board meeting for Aug. 13 included a vote on the plan being recommended by the administration, which is also an online only plan.