In what Superintendent Dr. Jodi Frankelli said felt like a “now or never” moment to bring students back to the classroom five days a week in the 2020-21 school year, Palmerton Area School District’s board of directors on Tuesday night chose “now.”

By an 8-1 vote, the board voted to approve an updated health and safety plan that calls for students to have the option to return to in-person instruction on a full-time basis starting April 5.

Frankelli cited a number of factors that led to the administration’s recommendation for the return, including decreases in Carbon County’s incidence and percent positivity rates, and teacher vaccinations.

“The teacher vaccinations really are a game changer, but this is also about providing some sense of normalcy for our students, especially those with special needs and those in danger of retention,” Frankelli said. “The phased approach to returning to full-time instruction was going to take too long at this point in the year. This return comes after a natural calendar break with students off for spring break, and the start of new marking period.”

The option for a five-day in-person return replaces the hybrid option, which had most students attending in-person two days per week, while attending classes virtually for the other three days.

Parents, many of whom have been strong advocates for a full return to the classroom, celebrated Tuesday’s proposal.

“I have a second-grader who has an IEP and has been in four school days and I have seen the difference socially and mentally between him and my two first-graders, who were on a hybrid schedule,” said parent Jenna McHugh.

Kelli Peppard said the new plan is fair and addresses many of the initial concerns from parents.

“It offers a lot of opportunity for comfort for people in different positions,” Peppard said. “My kids have been doing well academically, but this is going to be a big help with that mental component, as it will for a lot of children.”

Students will still have a full virtual learning option as they have since the beginning of the year. The district isn’t taking any new students in the Blue Bomber Cyber Academy right now, but those already enrolled are able to remain.

“This was a very difficult decision for me,” board President Kathy Fallow said. “Over the last several weeks, we have learned transmission within the school just wasn’t happening. Our administration has answered every question we had about this plan. This is risky, but the need for our students to return to a full, five-day schedule is worth that risk.”

Palmerton has had 57 positive COVID-19 cases within the district since the beginning of the year. None of them, Frankelli said, were traced to transmission in the schools, on student transportation or through sports.

Before Tuesday’s vote, board member Tammy Recker said it was overwhelming to hear how passionate parents have been on the issue, and she expects teachers will feel overjoyed to have students back for those additional days.

“We need to celebrate the fact that we are doing what we need to do and taking this step,” Recker said. “It is a step in the right direction. Knowing that students are coming back even for one marking period, I can’t imagine how excited our teachers must be.”

Audrey Larvey was the lone board member to vote against the updated plan.

Larvey said her decision was based on the fact that Carbon County is still in the substantial transmission category, per the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard.

“From day one, I have absolutely wanted kids in school,” Larvey said. “That in-person experience is invaluable. But in the end I would have been more comfortable if we would have said, we’ll go back as soon as the county hits the moderate transmission phase.”

Her vote, she said, was not meant to undermine Palmerton’s administration, which she praised for its hard work throughout the pandemic.

“Our superintendent is doing a wonderful job and I understood her very logical reasoning that this comes after a natural break in the calendar and at the start of a new marking period,” Larvey said.

Parents will be asked to complete a commitment form to select the option they want for their child going forward. The forms are due back to the district by noon on Monday.

With more students coming into the classrooms, Frankelli said social distancing of 6 feet or more can only be guaranteed during lunch or mask breaks. Though students will be masked, 6 feet of distancing can’t be guaranteed on the bus or in the classroom.

“Now that the plan is approved, the building level pandemic teams will work on some of those things that may need to be revised like entry and exit of students, or cafeteria needs. That is the next step in the process,” Frankelli said.