Reopen Pennsbury Rally Draws Crowd Outside Of Central Office

There were a wide variety of opinions on display outside of the Pennsbury School District Administration Building Friday morning, but one thing was clear – the 100 or so protesters wanted the district to either roll out a firm plan for reopening and begin some form of in-person classes.

The Reopen Pennsbury Schools rally came together in about a week and featured attendees holding signs outside, giving speeches, and calling for the district to do more.

Pennsbury is planning to have only virtual classes through the end of January 2021 amid the pandemic.

“Put the kids back in school again,” parent Jennifer Cahill said while outside the central office on Yardley Avenue in Falls Township’s Fallsington section.

“I’m drowning and I was trained for this,” said parent Tori Walker, a former teacher. “I did this for 10 years and I’m struggling.”

Walker said students aren’t benefiting from only learning virtually.

Parent Dawn Lonzo said that regular education and special education students “should not be on screens.”

“Is that the best we can do for our kids?” she asked.

“We have to rethink it and do something better.”

Larisa Girsh said that if kids can play organized sports safely, they can return to classrooms while wearing masks and practicing physical distancing.

Olivia, a Pennsbury High School junior, told the crowd that she works with the public four days a week and has to wear personal protective equipment. She said she feels students can return to some form of in-person classes.

A 57-year-old grandmother, who is raising an 11th grader and 6-year-old boy with special needs, said one challenge for her learners has been technology for virtual classes.

“Online learning is just horrible,” a student named Vincent said.

Some speakers called for tax refunds if in-person classes don’t resume and many called for more detailed answers from the district and school board on reopening plans.

Following the rally, the district issued the follow statement from Superintendent Dr. William Gretzula:

The District administration has consistently taken the position that we support those who gather and protest peacefully to share their views and concerns. Today’s protest represents the voices of those who want the best educational opportunities for their children, and we share in that desire.
Today concludes the second week of enacting the District’s fully remote learning plan. Our teachers and support personnel have done an impressive job working remotely with our students during these first two weeks. Our team has responded flexibly to address technology concerns and scheduling challenges that have been shared with us, and I also commend our administrative team who have provided exceptional leadership through this trying time. We are listening and adjusting accordingly.
At the last School Board Meeting, our President shared three questions that form the foundation for our reopening discussion:
1. Do COVID-19 metrics allow reopening? 2. Can we safely reopen? 3. Is the virtual (i.e.: remote) learning model working?
Those who gathered today believe the answers to the first two questions are yes, and that the answer to the last question is no. We respect that and will continue to do all we can to partner with every family in Pennsbury School District to support children in their home learning environment. We will also continue to monitor local conditions, state and county guidelines, and the wishes of our School Board as we look forward to one day returning to our school buildings for in-person instruction and the many school activities that our students traditionally enjoy.

School district security kept demonstrators away from the administration building and Falls Township police stood by. There were no major problems reported, but the demonstration blocked Yardley Avenue for about an hour.

While many people did wear masks and practice social distancing, others did not during the rally.

Diana Donnelly, one of the rally’s organizers, said a Facebook group for the movement took off over the past week and gained more than 1,300 followers. She said many people were upset by the lack of answers and the responses received from the district and school board.