Plan B - a hybrid education plan with two-day-per-week in-person class instruction for Northampton Area Middle School and Northampton Area High School students and five-day-per-week in-person class instruction for Northampton Area School District elementary school students - has been approved unanimously by the NASD Board of Education.

Under the curriculum section of the agenda, on a motion by school Director Dr. Michael Baird and seconded by school Director John Becker, the 9-0 vote at the Aug. 10 meeting puts forth the plan for the scheduled Aug. 31 start of the 2020-21 school year in NASD.

In plan B, students in sixth-12th grades whose last names begin with A through K will attend in-person classes Tuesdays and Thursdays, and students whose last names begin with L through Z will attend in-person classes Wednesdays and Fridays. All secondary students will stay home Mondays.

Students in kindergarten through fifth grade will attend in-person classes Mondays through Fridays.

In his 15-minute presentation to school directors, administrators and an estimated 25 parents, NASD Superintendent of Schools Joseph S. Kovalchik outlined other major points for the 2020-21 school year, including an 8 a.m. start to the day and a 1:45 p.m. dismissal for secondary students and a 9 a.m. start and a 3:10-3:15 p.m. dismissal for elementary students.

Only four or five buses will be allowed to park along the bus loop at NAMS for student drop-off at one time. As many as 52 buses typically drop off students at the secondary campus during the week.

“We’re not going to allow 1,000 students to parade into school,” Kovalchik said.

While occupancy of a typical full-size school bus is up to 48 students, there is now an anticipated 15-25 students per bus.

Buses will be cleaned between runs. A cleaning contractor has also been hired to clean the buses at the end of the day’s runs.

More information on bus schedules is to be emailed to parents the week of Aug. 17. More information on student schedules is to be emailed to parents the week of Aug. 24.

“Based on feedback received, many parents will be driving their children to school,” Kovalchik said.

It is estimated, as of Aug. 10, there are 500 out of 3,300 secondary students and 400 out of 2,200 elementary students signed up for Kids eLearning and/or Northampton Cyber Academy.

The deadline for parents to choose their preferred instruction for their children is Aug. 17.

“The majority of our parents want to have face-to-face instruction,” said Kovalchik, citing that preference by 75 percent of respondents to a district survey.

Approximately 15 students per class are expected for grades 6-12, and approximately 15-17 students per class are expected for grades K-5.

The school board also voted 9-0 to approve temporary emergency provisions in the school code, beginning with the 2020-21 school year, whereby online instruction hours count toward the commonwealth-mandated 80 instruction days and 900 hours for secondary and elementary students.

Bagged lunches will be served to students, with 6-feet social distancing observed in the cafeteria, gymnasium, lobby and classroom.

“We’re going to distribute our students throughout the buildings for lunch,” Kovalchik said.

No cash will be accepted to pay for lunches. Cards only will be allowed.

In response to a question from a parent as to whether card user fees would be reimbursed, Kovalchik said, “That will be my first question on the list when I meet with Aramark (NASD food purveyor) tomorrow (Aug. 11) morning.

“Students will not have to touch anything,” Kovalchik added. “There are obvious reasons why we’re not accepting cash. We’re going to have extra persons to assist.”

Face coverings are required for students, on buses and in schools, as well as for all NASD staff. Face-covering breaks are planned every 30 minutes for students in kindergarten-second grades and every 60 minutes for students in third-fifth grades.

While in-person class instruction will not take place Mondays, teachers will be in district buildings, taking care of lesson plans, state-mandated reporting concerning instruction and providing office hours for online communication with students for remediation and enrichment and with students and parents for questions.

“We want to make sure we have things covered, and Mondays will do it,” Kovalchik said. “We must also coordinate with our sending schools (concerning Colonial-Intermediate Unit 20 and Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School), and also Mondays are often holidays, such as for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.”

A draft of the plans was emailed to parents and guardians about two weeks ago. Kovalchik posted a video chat about reopening plans July 27 on the NASD website.

“We’ve offered plenty of time to analyze the plans. We received many emails, and our staff tried to answers questions,” Kovalchik said.

Kovalchik was to post a new video chat Aug. 11 on the website.

The resolution, as approved by the NASD school board, states: “Since the plans may be subject to revision from time to time as required by changing circumstances or commonwealth orders and guidance, the superintendent of schools is hereby authorized to implement changes to the plans as necessary and thereafter submit revised plans for review and approval by the school board. The plans and changes to the plans shall be distributed electronically to all school district staff, parents, guardians and students and posted on the school district website.”

The school board also voted 9-0 to approve the Revised NASD COVID-19 Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan, effective Aug. 11. The commonwealth delayed the start of team practice two weeks, from Aug. 10 to Aug. 24. Season-opening football games are postponed until Oct. 2.

“A good 40 percent of our students actively participate in athletics,” Kovalchik said.

During the Aug. 10 meeting, 25 persons, including 11 district parents who attended, were allowed in the NAMS cafeteria, where the school board convened.

An additional 14 district parents who attended the meeting, were in NAMS’ large group instruction room.

No parents spoke at the podium in the cafeteria. Three parents, Erin Schaffer, Christina Lichtenwalner and Dawn Gutkowski, spoke at a microphone in the nearby room.

NASD administrators sat at tables set up in the school’s second-floor lobby. Additional NASD security was on duty to assist attendees.