The Nov. 10 virtual Saucon Valley School Board meeting was dominated by discussion to determine whether – and if so, how – to hold winter athletics, which include swimming, basketball and wrestling, in the upcoming months.

On the same day that 4,322 new COVID-19 cases were reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and case counts, hospitalizations and deaths were sharply trending upward not just in Pa. but across the nation, board members and administrators debated the benefits and potential consequences of allowing these programs to proceed, albeit with some modifications. “Being that (winter sports) are indoor brings a higher level of scrutiny,” Superintendent Dr. Craig Butler said.

The district has closed the high school twice this autumn due to positive COVID cases, the first closure for a few days in late September due to two positive cases, and the latest a current two-week closure which began Nov. 2 due to five positive cases. Butler did indicate that despite those issues, the elementary and middle schools have remained unaffected, with zero positive cases thus far.

Athletic Director Robert Frey explained the department’s tentative plans in the event the programs would be permitted to proceed. Team practices would start before Thanksgiving, he said, with a two-week break after to allow for a “buffer” between outside holiday gatherings and the resumption of activities. Competitions would then start in December with a two-week break after Christmas as well. There would always be a 48-hour space between competitions at minimum, he said, meant to allow time for any adjustments deemed necessary in the event of positive cases.

Competition schedules would be greatly reduced for all sports, Frey said, with the basketball schedule cut back from 18 to 12 games, the wrestling schedule drastically different due to the avoidance of tournaments, and the swimming schedule having to get “creative” due to Saucon’s lack of league affiliation in that particular sport.

There were a range of opinions and concerns expressed in the course of the discussion. Board member Bryan Eichfeld expressed his trepidation over allowing winter sports to proceed. He said, “I really, really want to keep students in school… (and) extracurricular activities and sports is where we’ve had outbreaks,” theorizing that such outbreaks could potentially threaten the continuation of Saucon’s current five-day, in-person instructional model.

Cedric Dettmar asked for clarification on, if there was spread within the activities themselves, or if the folks who tested positive caught the virus elsewhere. Butler replied that while the answer to Dettmar’s query was and would likely remain undetermined, he did have significant guidance from local health agencies, including a St. Luke’s medical team, to assist in decision-making.

Butler described a virtual meeting with other local superintendents and six St. Luke’s physicians in which they were presented with a ‘scaled risk’ model. According to the model, swimming was among the least risky sports, whereas basketball and wrestling were labeled ‘high risk.’ Ultimately, Butler said the St. Luke’s team’s recommendation was to delay the start of basketball and wrestling until January 2021. They cited family gatherings and students returning home from college as physicians’ reasoning for suggesting to err on the side of caution, he said.

Although they advised against starting ‘high risk’ sports before the end of the year, Butler also indicated that the same team gave a “strong vote of confidence” to continuing with Saucon’s current attendance model, even though Northampton County was officially moved into the category of ‘substantial’ virus spread by the Pa. Dept. of Health beginning the week of Nov. 2.

Frey added that an advisory team from Lehigh Valley Hospital employed by other local districts to help inform their decision-making disagreed with the St. Luke’s team and are of the opinion that it would be reasonably safe to start competitions before Christmas. He also said that the number of students who have expressed interest in participating in the season’s athletics was unusually high compared to recent years.

Board members Sandra Miller and Tracy Magnotta were both vocal in their support of attempting to hold basketball and wrestling, regardless of the timing. Magnotta said, “we managed to have (an indoor) volleyball season this year… we would be remiss to deprive our kids of this opportunity to at least try, especially for the seniors who won’t get another shot at this.”

The decision’s complexity was further exacerbated as board President Dr. Shamim Pakzad wondered aloud if a change to the existing Health and Safety Plan might be pertinent as a precaution in the event of an outbreak. He explained that in his view, “extended closures as a result of (few) cases are unnecessary.” Contact tracing and deep-cleaning was completed in the first day or two after the high school closed in each instance, he said, and extending closures for weeks at a time might be superfluous.

Butler also advised the board that there had been “serious talk” among the Pa. Dept. of Education about issuing revised guidance in the near-term with increased flexibility for districts to be more self-reliant when determining COVID-mitigation policies. Solicitor Mark Fitzgerald helped Pakzad and the board draft a motion that would allow administration discretion in determining the length of possible future closures on a case-by-case basis.

Several district parents joined the meeting, with many critical of the district’s approach, especially in light of recent developments. One parent, only identified as Mark, said, “people need to look around. Cases are rising. God forbid that we close down and you look embarrassed that your plan failed… lose the egos.”

Several parents also spoke to lobby for permitting winter athletics. “Sports are going to continue elsewhere,” Sean Donahue said. Donahue, who said he has a son on the varsity football team, added, “if you don’t provide (organized athletics) in this school environment, a lot of these children are going to be going elsewhere (to play).” Wrestling coach Chad Shirk also spoke, hoping to alleviate some concerns over COVID protocols, particularly during team practice sessions.

Ultimately, both a motion to allow winter spots to proceed – with the aforementioned revised schedules – and a motion to allow the administration flexibility on COVID-related school closures easily passed.