During a marathon meeting that stretched into the early hours of Tuesday morning, State College Area School Board voted against a pair of motions that would have substantially altered the district’s start to the academic year.
With the motions’ failing, the district will start the school year on Aug. 25 with the previously planned options for in-person, remote and Virtual Academy learning, which were formally approved by the board during the meeting.
One motion would have started in-person instruction for two weeks, followed by a two-week pause during which the district would switch to all-remote learning ‘to obtain a greater understanding of the COVID-19 prevalence in our community.’
Board members voted against that motion by a 7-2 margin, with Lori Bedell and Gretchen Brandt voting in favor.
The second motion, introduced by Brandt at the start of the meeting, would have had the district open with remote instruction only. It also failed 7-2, with Brandt and Jim Leous voted in favor.
Superintendent Bob O’Donnell, who supported the approved in-school and remote options, said that as of Monday, 73% of district families had chosen in-person learning for their students.
‘We’re focused on the safety of students and employees. No doubt about it,’ O’Donnell said. ‘And if we’re safe I believe students should be in school with our faculty and staff. That’s the best scenario for student learning and their well-being, and that includes all the information we’ve had from physicians, including our pediatricians.’
Working with a wide-ranging team that included epidemiologists and medical professionals, SCASD developed a 60-page safety plan, approved in July, that O’Donnell said allows the district flexibility to pivot to remote instruction if needed based on monitoring in collaboration with Geisinger, Mount Nittany Health and Penn State.
‘Honestly I have not seen a school plan in Pennsylvania as thorough as what we’ve designed,’ he said. ‘I’m proud of where we are and confident that we’re ready to get back to school, both in person and remotely, just one week from now.’
The meeting — which took place virtually — clocked in at about six hours and 20 minutes and at its peak more than 700 people were on the Zoom call. While the majority of the extensive public comment was in favor of continuing with the existing reopening plan, many still spoke in favor of starting fully remote or the two-week pause on on in-person instruction.
Brandt said she introduced her motion to start remote-only in response to comments received from students and teachers.
‘This is, I think, at least some way to communicate to the teachers that we care about them. Even having the conversation I think sends that message,’ she said. ‘I would hope that we indeed do all care about them.’
