Trending
HARRISBURG -- Local educators told a House committee Wednesday they will be dealing with unknowns, the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and higher operating costs as they reopen schools this fall.
The Education Committee heard testimony from educators representing both public schools and non-public schools about the efforts underway to start the 2020-2021 academic year.
The meeting came two weeks after the state Education Department announced that elementary and secondary public schools in Pennsylvania can reopen starting July 1 provided they have health and safety plans in place. The plans are to address issues ranging from social distancing, wearing masks, protecting high-risk students and employees and restricting large assemblies.
Schools have been closed since Gov. Tom Wolf declared a statewide disaster emergency in early March, although some have provided remote learning to students.
House Education Committee Majority Chairman Curt Sonney, R-Erie, plans a second meeting to hear from more educators.
The educators asked lawmakers for specific types of assistance and warned of higher costs as schools implement hybrid weekly schedules split between in-person classes andinternet learning, change pupil transportation arrangements and bridge a "digital divide" in internet access available to students.
The $25.1 billion stopgap state budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21 adopted earlier this month provides level state funding for secondary and higher education.
"The shape and form of instruction when schools reopen in the fall is one of the greatest unknowns school districts are facing in preparing for next year," said Dr. Art Levinowitz, an Upper Dublin School District board member and president-elect of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.
He said schools will have to look at scheduling classes in shifts to keep class sizes down, clean and disinfect classrooms at regular intervals during the day and adjust student arrival and dismissal times and lunch times.
Levinowitz asked lawmakers to provide schools with relief from state mandates and adopt charter school and cyber charter school reforms to help districts save costs.
"Districts are facing a difficult budget year," said Dr. Eric Eshbach, outgoing superintendent of Northern York School District and legislative chair of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. "While we appreciate the level funding for Pre-K through 12 education, we expect local revenues through tax collection will decrease significantly due to the economic downturn."
Eshbach said he thinks many schools will choose the hybrid option, but "it may very well be the most challenging and expensive to operate."
Schools will have to be prepared for another temporary or lengthy closing if the virus has a resurgence in the fall and winter, added Eshbach.
Evelyn Nunez, chief of schools for the Philadelphia School District, said she would like more direction from the education department on such issues as social distancing and mask wearing.
Philadelphia as well as rural school districts will need aid to help bridge the digital divide with remote learning being a greater part of the curriculum, added Nunez.
"The kids need to be in school," said Joe Scheuermann, a math teacher and local Pennsylvania State Education Association representative at Hempfield Area School District in Mercer County.
But he suggested there will be a greater demand for school counselors when schools reopen to help students adjust to a new world.
"Social distancing sounds great on paper," said Lawrence Jones Jr., CEO of Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School in Philadelphia. But Jones said it will require a lot of training to ensure that students practice social distancing.
He asked that charter schools have the same access to information and technical assistance from the Intermediate Units that school districts have.
Dr. Philip Fromuth, superintendent of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Allentown, asked lawmakers to consider the needs of non public schools in reversing the loss of school nurses in recent years and addressing pupil transportation needs.
Rabbi Sam Weinberg, principal and education director for the Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, said his school started operating at limited capacity to comply with health and safety guidelines. He said the challenges will only grow as fall approaches.