The three days leading up to Thanksgiving will be the last time Palmerton Area School District students are physically in classrooms until at least late January.

Palmerton’s school board, by an 8-1 vote on Tuesday, approved a modification to the district’s health and safety plan that will have all students attending classes virtually starting Dec. 1.

“Our COVID-19 numbers in the community have skyrocketed,” Palmerton Superintendent Dr. Jodi Frankelli said. “We have always stood firm with our mission to follow the guidance provided to us by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Department of Education. Carbon County has been at the substantial level of community transition for two weeks now and the recommendation that comes with that is a full remote learning model.”

The decision comes after superintendents in Carbon County met with PDE officials on Monday. Frankelli also referenced Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine’s comments during a press conference on Tuesday.

Levine warned of COVID-19’s “aggressive and unrelenting community spread.”

Frankelli said that, beginning with the reporting period of Jan. 1-7, Carbon County will need to have, at worst, a moderate level of community COVID-19 transmission for three out of four weeks before Palmerton would move out of the full remote learning model.

Reaction

The decision immediately drew critical reaction from Palmerton parents, who questioned why Palmerton was moving to a full virtual model, while other area districts still have students attending classes in person.

“In our county, and surrounding counties, some districts are still in person five days a week,” said Stacey Connell, a nurse practitioner. “It’s a disservice to our students and teachers to give up on the hybrid program. We’ve had some cases in the district, but no student-to-student transmission, and I think that says a lot about our kids. I believe we can stay the course and continue to practice social distancing and other safety measures in schools.”

Jenna McHugh fought back tears as she described her second-grade student who is just about to get his individualized education program.

“It took a long time for him to get tested,” McHugh said. “He struggles so much and he was just about to get the help he needs. Now what? The numbers are just not there. I don’t understand how we can go full virtual.”

Students with an IEP, Frankelli said, will still receive those services even as Palmerton moves to a full virtual model.

The lone board member to vote against amending the district’s health and safety plan was Earl Paules, who has advocated at multiple meetings for students to be in school.

“You guys know how I feel about this,” Paules said Tuesday night.

Frankelli said recommendations regarding day-to-day instruction in the district come from her office.

“The board has taken a lot of punches,” she said, “but that operational piece comes from the district level.”

Sports

The academic side of things was unquestionably at the forefront of Tuesday’s discussion, but the board’s decision will also impact student-athletes.

While Palmerton is using a full virtual learning model, there will be no sports practices or games, effectively putting the winter sports season on life support.

Palmerton’s board took a second vote Tuesday night, authorizing the district’s participation in winter sports, in accordance with the PIAA, Colonial League, and the district’s health and safety plan, but it would only kick in when students return to the classroom setting.

A quick look at the calendar means sports teams couldn’t begin practicing until the week of Jan. 25, and that is only if COVID-19 transmission levels fall in the moderate or low level for the first three weeks of January. After allowing for a few weeks of practice, it is realistic that no games would be played before mid-February.

“My kids are heartbroken, just devastated,” Ken Termini, Palmerton’s boys basketball coach said after the meeting. “As recently as last night, I told them we were under the impression there would be some sort of season. I hope there is a way for the board to have a discussion that would loosen the direct correlation between students being in school and having sports. To say we won’t leave the door open to evaluate safe alternatives to get a shot at even four or five games, that is a shame.”

Palmerton Athletic Director Kyle Porembo vowed to keep fighting for the student-athletes in light of Tuesday’s vote.

“I’ve seen what sports means to these kids,” Porembo said. “It is a major release. These are unprecedented times. It really means a lot for sports for kids. I am trying to advocate for our kids and coaches because they have done everything we have asked. The risk we took in the fall really was worth it at the end of the day.”

Parents on Tuesday cited the success of Palmerton’s fall sports season. During fall sports, Palmerton got in 130 varsity and junior varsity events, with only one girls soccer game canceled due to a COVID-19 issue with the opposing school.

“These kids have worked way too hard to get everything swept out from underneath them,” Gary Reph told the school board. “To make the leap to this with very limited cases in school, I think that is a pretty giant leap. For some of these kids, their home life isn’t that great and going to school and playing sports is all they have. It’s their stress reliever.”

Having no winter season, or even a significantly delayed one, could put a damper on milestone chases. Senior basketball player Kody Kratzer, for example, is 89 points shy of becoming the school’s next 1,000-point scorer.

“We can’t deny Pennsylvania cases have gone up, but have we further analyzed data specifically in Carbon County and Zip code by Zip code?” Kody’s mother, Michelle, said. “Why is it all or nothing at this point? We have proven success with our health and safety plans and I think we owe it to our children to try.”

More details coming

Frankelli said now that the move to a full remote model has been board approved, more specific information will be coming to staff and parents, as well as posted on the district website under the frequently asked questions section.

“These are challenging times for all of us,” Frankelli said. “We will only get through these times working together. I know moving to an all remote model, for some parents, may be challenging. As we heard today from Dr. Levine, we are seeing the substantial spread and it requires all of us working together to mitigate these conditions moving forward.”