Two Montgomery County School Districts Hold Meetings To Discuss Learning Options For Fall
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- Two Montgomery County school districts are holding meetings Wednesday evening to discuss school options for the fall.
Monday night, the Wissahickon School Board shot down an initial plan to return to class, as both parents and administrators raised concerns about the quality of the virtual learning days for grades 7-12.
Between Facebook and Zoom, more than 3,000 people watched the virtual board meeting.
The board is proposing different learning options depending on grade level. They include all in-person instruction, a hybrid schedule, or fully virtual.
People who live in the district are weighing in on the plan, which board members will vote on tonight.
"I think all the kids need to go back to school. For everyone's sake, for the parents that are working from home that have little ones. I don't think that the kids are spreading this virus," said Courtney Ferrero, of Maple Glen.
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"Children don't want to wear a mask for eight to 10 hours a day," said Dorothy King, of Ambler. "Homeschool until they come out with a vaccine, that's what I'm thinking."
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said school districts have a difficult task at hand.
"The plan is for every school district to make their own decisions about exactly how they're going to open," he said. "Our guidelines are, we want to keep teachers, students, administrators safe and if there is a feeling that that can't be done, then the schools are going to have various challenges in terms of reopening."
Parents in the Lower Merion School District will gather for an informational Zoom session on the district's Virtual Academy plan. It's a completely remote K-12 learning option for families choosing not to send their children back to schools for in-person instruction.
District spokeswoman Amy Buckman said there has been strong interest – more than 300 parents logged into an information session Wednesday morning.
Parents in the Wissahickon School District have until Friday, July 31, to make a decision on the plan they want their child to be enrolled in.