Jim Thorpe Area School District will wait to finalize its reopening plan until board members can hear from parents and staff.

The school board was set to vote on the COVID-19 health and safety plan at their regular meeting on Wednesday. But members decided they wanted to wait to approve it until the district can hold scheduled meetings with parents and teachers.

“As a board we are potentially making a life-and-death decision here,” board member Scott Pompa said. “We still need the feedback from the community, our parents and our teachers.”

The district’s plan calls for students to return to school four days a week if Carbon County is still in the green phase, with one day of remote learning. If the county is in the yellow phase, grades K-5 would still attend four days per week, while 6-12 would be split in half and attend school in person two days per week, with three days of remote instruction.

The district also plans to offer online learning as an alternative for families who don’t wish to return.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Superintendent John Rushefski and other administrators elaborated on details of the plan. They addressed questions about online learning, dress code, special education and masks.

Rushefski praised administrators for tackling the task of separating students in a crowded school setting.

“Our schools are set up to bring students together, but now we have a plan to separate them. That’s the trick that we’re involved with right now. It’s very difficult,” he said.

The district plans to comply with the governor’s orders that everyone age 2 and up must wear a mask while in public places. But if someone claims a medical reason for not wearing a mask, school districts can’t force them to disclose the medical condition under federal law, Rushefski said.

“The school district will be promoting the use of face masks, while at the same time we have to honor HIPAA and the rights of our students,” Rushefski said.

If someone in the district tests positive for COVID-19, officials plan to disclose it to parents, likely using the same system the district uses for weather delays and closures, Rushefski said. If there is a positive test, they also plan to consult with the Department of Health.

High school Principal Tom Lesisko said masks will also be regulated according to the spirit of the school dress code, including a prohibition on political and harassing language.

However, the school district plans to relax the dress code in order to prevent students taking gym class from congregating in locker rooms. Students taking gym will be allowed to wear gym clothes throughout the day.

Two optional educational programs will continue. The Pre-K counts and Project SHINE programs are set to go forward this fall. Pre-K counts students at the high school will be split into two classrooms for social distancing, and plans are being finalized for the program at Penn-Kidder.

Project SHINE will take place as long as Carbon is in the green phase, Penn-Kidder Principal Holly Mordaunt said. The program will focus more on individual projects than collaborative learning.

The district’s school bus provider also discussed their plans for the return to school. Lisa Schroy of Brandywine Carbon Transportation said they are confident about their staffing levels. Like the teachers, drivers will fill out a document each day saying they are healthy.

Schroy said Jim Thorpe’s plan for 48 students per bus is in line with what’s happening around the area.

The district has to pass the health and safety plan by Aug. 1, according to guidelines from the Department of Education.

Rushefski said he understood the board wanting more time to consider the plan before adopting it. He said the current plan represents the administration’s best plan based on the information available. But he said they will update plans as the state continues to respond to COVID-19.

“Everything changes. It’s a moving target and there’s a lot that keeps changing as time goes on. We’re certainly going to be vigilant and be up to speed with where we need to be,” Rushefski said.