Jim Thorpe Area High School Principal Thomas Lesisko discussed some logistics and COVID-19 protocols that Kalahari Resorts will have in place for Jim Thorpe’s prom at the school board meeting this week.

“The prom committee went there today to see what’s there,” Lesisko said. “We checked security, we checked COVID precautions, and they have everything in place - including if they have to warn a person with a mask off for a second time, that person is out of the prom.”

There will be four people at a table and masks may only be off when eating.

“They are very serious to make a very safe prom for our students,” Lesisko added.

In-person meetings?

Public comments were submitted to the board regarding when the next in-person school board meeting will be.

“I would actually like to begin in-person meetings as soon as possible. I would certainly like to make sure the board is comfortable coming back,” said Scott Pompa, board president.

“I believe the sooner we can do this, the better. I would love to get back to our in-person meetings. … I believe it’s something that we will discuss in the very near future as a board and determine that time frame.”

Board members had varying opinions regarding the in-person or virtual setting.

“People have to understand too, we don’t get paid for these meetings, we have other jobs,” said Cindy Lesisko-Henning, board secretary.

“My job requires me to stay quarantined - I’ve been quarantined for over a year. If they say I have to come into a meeting, I will with social distancing and a mask, but otherwise, I will remain home like I have for the last year.”

Dress code

Another public comment asked about uniforms for next school year.

Superintendent John Rushefski said dress code will be addressed during the last meeting of the month.

“We’ll get back to the Jim Thorpe community about that and make it part of our talking points. We were very lenient with the 2020-21 school year; shopping opportunities were not there and it put us in a dangerous situation,” Rushefski said.

Carbon County remains in the substantial transmission stage. Last week the county had a 12.7 percent positivity rate.

“I think we need to look at the way things have been going. And quite frankly, right now, when I looked at the data, we’re not too much different than where we were in November 2020. … We have run into some new obstacles in April 2021.”