Palmerton Area School Board, in an emergency meeting Wednesday, debated for five hours before voting to reinstate extracurricular activities and shorten the virtual learning time period.

In a 5-4 vote, the board agreed to have virtual learning from Dec. 1-23. Students will return to hybrid learning on Jan. 4. Voting against the measure was Audrey Larvey, Kathy Fallow, Kate Baumgardt and Brandon Mazepa.

The vote to reinstate sports and extracurricular activities passed by a 6-3 margin. Larvey, Fallow and Baumgardt voted against the measure.

The board voted earlier this month to have virtual learning extend into January and to suspend extracurricular activities, including sports. The motion was made because Carbon County is in the substantial range for community spread of COVID-19. This week Gov. Tom Wolf gave schools the option of signing that they would follow cleaning protocols if they kept brick-and-mortar classes.