Schools Expected To Resume In-Person Classes

Schools in Pennsylvania are planning to return to the classroom by late summer.

Pennsylvania Department of Education Secretary Pedro Rivera testified Monday before the state Senate Education Committee that schools were preparing to reopen in late summer for the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year.

Schools across the state closed in mid-March and shifted to distance learning as the COVID-19 pandemic expanded.

While schools are preparing continuity of education plans for students, Pedro told the committee that local districts will hold the final say in how reopening schools will look amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is fully our intent that we’re going to be in a place where we are going to open schools for students when they return for their next academic year,” the secretary said.

The state Department of Education has continued to create guidance for school districts to assist them, Rivera said.

Speaking to senators, Rivera said his department will develop a “framework” of plans that schools can roll out to keep students, staff, and the community safe, adding the final say on most matters will fall to local districts.

“If we still have aggressive social distancing guidelines, we’re going to then tell school districts we still have aggressive social distancing guidelines in place. However, here are strategies that you can employ to mitigate that close contact in classrooms and in schools,” Rivera said. “Then they’ll be able to choose from those strategies.”

Among the options during social distancing could be smaller classes or split schedules, the secretary said.

In late April, statements made by Rivera caused a countless number of social media posts and news stories implying in-person schooling may not resume until next year.

Rivera told senators that the message relayed was not what he was conveying.

The secretary said his department was working to aid district amid expected financial troubles.

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