Bethlehem Area surveying parents on 5-day plan

Bethlehem Area School District is considering returning elementary students to the classroom five days a week during the fourth marking period, depending on the trajectory of COVID19 and responses to parent and teacher surveys.

“Things are moving in the right direction,” Superintendent Joseph Roy said in a video message to parents Monday, asking them to fill out a survey providing their feedback on a pivot from two-day hybrid instruction to five-day instruction beginning April 11.

The decision will be made based on survey results, case counts in the county and recommendations from local health agencies, Roy said.

He said the district has the support of the city health department to consider this option, as well as updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics that urges schools to prioritize returning younger children to school.

AAP guidelines, acknowledging the “conflict between optimal academic and social/ emotional learning in schools and strict adherence to current physical distancing guidelines,” recommend that “desks should be placed at least 3 feet apart and ideally 6 feet apart.” It also notes that children under 10 appear less likely to become infected and spread coronavirus.

The balance with mental and academic health is another motivation to consider the full return, Roy said.

“Although lots of kids are doing fine in the hybrid model ... there are also students that this is definitely not working for,” he said. “That’s a pressing concern of ours.”

It’s been a pressing concern of portions of the community, too, who have rallied around the cause of getting children the option to attend school full time.

To date, the district has not had evidence of transmission of the virus in schools, Roy said. In surrounding counties and statewide, case numbers have been trending downward.