Pottstown May Delay Return to In-Person Classes

A hybrid return to classes in the Pottstown School District may be delayed beyond January.

During a school board workshop session Thursday, Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez updated the board on the latest developments and a majority indicated support for maintaining the current cyber-learning program through the end of the third marking period.

It was just a straw vote, but a formal vote on the decision is likely to come at the next board meeting scheduled for Jan. 21.

"The cons are not alleviated enough to justify going back," said Board Vice President Katina Bearden.

"There are too many cons for too few pros" to justify returning to in-person learning, said board member Raymond rose.

In November, the school board tentatively decided students and staff would not return to in-person education, with the exception of special education and some pilot programs, until at least January.

That decision was dependent on a number of factors which have remained in flux, including COVID-19 cases, the latest information on the effectiveness of hybrid learning programs and the interest of families.

Hybrid programs have students come in for in-person education two days a week, and continue on-line cyber learning three days a week.

Rodriguez said while some hybrid programs begin with high participation, those numbers drop off as students realize how few of their peers they will be with under the guidelines.

Similar reports have been made to the school boards in Spring-Ford and Pottsgrove as well, where hybrid programs have been implemented.

Rodriguez also said that COVID-19 cases pushing school buildings to close under the state guidelines creates uncertainty for families, with students unexpectedly at home. There are some advantages, he said, so the certainty of on-line learning in terms of planning for families.

Nevertheless, there are many students who struggle with cyber schooling and extending it may put them further behind, he acknowledged.

That is a concern for board members Steve Kline and Laura Johnson, who indicated their reluctance to endorse maintaining the current online methods without taking some action to help those who are falling behind.

Rodriguez replied that not only is he hoping to look into some kind of safe, in-person homework support and that the district is already planning "a very robust summer program" to help those who fell behind to catch up.