During the July 20 special meeting of Catasauqua Area School District Board of Education, board members voted to approve the district’s 2020-21 Health and Safety Plan, following a detailed presentation by Robert Spengler, superintendent; Dr. Christina Lutz-Doemling, assistant superintendent; Lois Reed, business supervisor; and the principals of Sheckler Elementary School, Catasauqua Middle School and Catasauqua High School.

Before the final plan for the next academic year can be finalized, Spengler noted parents and guardians have been asked to fill out another districtwide survey regarding their preferred instructional option and whether or not their children will be using district transportation. The survey was released July 24 with a response deadline of July 31.

Spengler noted the short amount of time to respond is to give the district time to plan appropriately for the number of students expected in the school buildings and on the buses.

He reported the district has four guiding principles for the reopening of schools: ensure the safety and wellness of the students and staff; ensure high-quality instruction to students, regardless of the teaching model; provide parents predictability and a choice in the learning option; and optimize the use of resources.

He noted the administration and staff are looking at four possible options for learning: five-day in-school instruction, online learning, homeschooling and a hybrid model where half the students would be in the school two days a week while the others learn from home. The two groups would alternate in-person days.

“The hybrid model is kind of a last-resort option,” Spengler said.

The first districtwide survey regarding the 2020-21 school year was sent out at the end of May to gauge the effectiveness of the district’s online instruction methods and how they could best be improved. Armed with this feedback, administration set about addressing the concerns noted in the surveys.

According to Lutz-Doemling, students and parents enjoyed the flexibility of the online instruction, the face-to-face interactions with teachers and the feedback they received on assignments.

It was reported many parents struggled with balancing their work with the students’ education, keeping students motivated to learn and work and that students missed social interactions.

Lutz-Doemling said they looked into the feedback regarding what would make online learning better to give administration a base line on how to proceed with the online learning plan. Some changes already made include consistency with meeting/teaching platforms, grading methods, making signing in to sites easier, etc.

For in-person learning, Spengler noted they are making plans to be as safe and effective as possible. He noted the district bought new hygiene and cleaning products, as well as personal protective equipment for the staff.

Students and staff will employ social distancing as much as physically possible. Spengler reported with full enrollment, there are approximately 24 students per classroom, which allows for 3 or 4 feet of distance between desks. He expects some students to be learning online so the classroom numbers should be lower.

Face coverings will be required in classes, on buses and in hallways and cafeterias. It was reported there will be face-covering breaks during the day for students. Masks and face coverings must abide by dress code rules.

Staff members and students are asked to do daily temperature checks before reporting to school, and all high temperatures must be reported to the district.

Reed and Spengler reported they did research into best recommended cleaning supplies and methods for COVID-19 and the entire custodial staff will undergo special training in the new protocols and procedures. They are following all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Health guidelines.

Reed reported the schools have added hand sanitizer stations. Ventilation filters are being routinely changed, and it is recommended to allow more fresh air into classrooms.

Water fountains at the schools are being discontinued. All students are encouraged to bring a water bottle to school, and there are new water bottle filling stations being installed.

Regarding busing, students will sit two students to a seat and must wear face coverings. It is recommended students don’t open backpacks or move around on the buses. Family members may also be seated next to each other on the bus to prevent a possible spread.

Buses will be regularly sanitized between runs. It is yet to be determined if buses will need to do multiple runs a day to accommodate reduced numbers of students per run. This information will be decided following the latest districtwide survey.

Students will be seated 6 feet away from each other in the cafeteria. Each school has its own plan and procedures regarding meal times.

According to Spengler, the school days may be shorter to accommodate transportation needs and other reasons.

Nonessential personnel and visitors will not be permitted in the school buildings. All essential visitors must wear a face covering and fill out a health questionnaire.

Spengler thanked board members for their efforts so far in working to prepare the district for the new changes.

He reported they hired two additional teachers at Sheckler Elementary and CMS to better spread out classes, and 12 new building substitutes were hired to cover teacher absences and small-room instruction.

The board also approved hiring a third school resource officer, so there will be one present in each of the schools.

Additional iPads were purchased, so every student can have one to assist with online learning and self-contained learning methods.

“I think our school board has acted prudently in its response to guidelines,” Spengler said.

It was noted the hardest part of planning for the next school year is keeping up with the constantly changing requirements and restrictions. Spengler noted he will keep parents, guardians and the community updated as changes occur.

The health and safety plan can be found on the district website, cattysd.org.

Editor’s note: See next week’s edition for a more detailed breakdown of changes and protocols for each school building.