Parents continued to hammer the Pleasant Valley School Board last week about when their children can go back to school full time.

In January, the school district released a survey to parents asking them for their opinions. It also asked parents with children in the district’s cyber academy, private schools, cyber charter schools and other education platforms if they would come back this school year if school was opened in-person full time.

There were 1,241 parents who answered the survey questions by Jan. 28, most of whom have children in the district’s hybrid program of two days in school and three days online. There are 2,822 students in the hybrid program. Of those parents, 79% said they wanted their children to go back to school in-person five days a week.

Ashley Yellin of Eldred Township said that children are not the problem when it comes to transmission of the virus. The virus is most often transmitted in the community.

“It’s only a problem when kids are not wearing masks,” she said.

Yellin said she thinks the problem of spacing students at lunchtime could be solved by having them eat in their classrooms or use additional large spaces like the gymnasium to spread out the children.

Erin Beers of Chestnuthill Township echoed Yellin in her comments about spacing for lunch. She also encouraged the school board to think about next school year and start now to plan for it. She suggested investing in modular classrooms to spread out the students.

“We’re not getting rid of this for the next year,” she said.

Jessica Jennings of Chestnuthill Township said she thinks if student sports can be allowed then the children can go back to school. She doesn’t think the 6 feet apart guideline for social distancing is being followed anyway.

“Six feet apart, when does that ever happen?” she said.

Jennings said she sees people standing closer than 6 feet apart in the grocery store, not using masks at the gym, and doctors have to get closer than 6 feet to use a stethoscope.

But if the school district is going to hold to the 6-foot guideline, then she suggested splitting the school day into a morning session and an afternoon session.

“Adapt just like everyone else had to do. It may take 10-15 minutes to wipe desks and everyone from teachers, receptionists, nurses and janitors can do this. It can be done,” she said. “Open the windows for that period of time. I’m tired of hearing things can’t be done.”

When the meeting was open to the school board directors for comment, Director Laura Jecker said she would like to see the school district’s administration get to work on getting the students back to school full time.

“If we can do what we can to move things in a forward direction and come up with some actions or plans as soon as possible, then that would be what we all need to have,” she said.