The Deer Lakes School Board could not ignore the message brought by district parents Tuesday night: Open the schools five days a week.

“You need to quit holding these kids hostage,” parent Traci Stotler told the board during a virtual meeting. “They want to be in the classroom with their teachers. They want to learn.”

Stotler said school directors didn’t listen to parents when crafting the district’s back-to-school plan, which includes hybrid and fully online learning. When surveyed, a majority of parents said they wanted schools to resume full-time in-person instruction, Stotler said, but the board chose to go with a hybrid model.

“Let’s consider what the facts are out there and what science is saying. Tell me the science why these kids need to continue with hybrid plans, especially when masks are the only thing that’s required, not social distancing,” Stotler said. “No parent ever indicated they wanted hybrid. No parent was asked about that.”

The board voted 8-1 to potentially modify the back-to-school plan to full-time in-person learning at its next meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday. School Director Larry Neidig dissented, saying he wanted more information before making a decision.

Fully online learning would remain available for students and parents who are not comfortable with in-person learning.

Parents told the board their children are struggling with hybrid learning and aren’t getting the socialization they need.

“My daughters love school, and they perform better in school,” Heather Glass said. “My daughter in kindergarten said she hasn’t made any friends yet because they cannot be in small groups. Why are we putting our children through this?”

Survey results overwhelming …

A more recent survey completed by 1,569 district families showed, if given the choice, about 80% would want students to return to full-time in-person instruction, even if the schools couldn’t guarantee social distancing.

School board member Vic Laurenza said the results of the survey speak for themselves.

“I was put on this board to listen to my constituents, and 79.5% of them answered the question,” Laurenza said. “I’ll put my personal opinions aside. I’m here to represent the people that voted to put me here.”

… but, some say, misleading

Some parents said the survey was misleading, as hybrid learning was not included as an option.

Paul Scherrah said he chose the five-day in-person option only because hybrid option wasn’t listed. He, too, would like his children to get back to school as soon as possible, as long as it is safe.

“I think if you truly want to know what the constituents want in terms of schooling, you should send a survey out with all three options, including hybrid,” Scherrah said.

Michael Naugle had similar sentiments.

“There’s a great many vocal people speaking tonight, and I understand their concerns. But just because they’re vocal, I don’t feel that they speak for all of us,” Naugle said.

Ryan Dunbar has a kindergartner and fourth-grader in the district. He brought up the fact a staffer at the middle school recently tested positive for covid-19. Other districts also have had covornavirus exposures, he said.

Concerns about covid-19’s rise

“We appear to possibly be at the beginning of an outbreak,” Dunbar said. “We don’t know. We don’t know where we’re at on the curve.”

Dunbar said there are parents in the district who have concerns about full-time, in-person learning, but are afraid to speak out in fear of retaliation. He said some teachers have expressed concerns.

“I think that’s important that we bring the teachers into the conversation,” he said.

Superintendent Janell Logue-Belden said teachers have asked the district to hold off on making changes until the end of the nine-week grading period to avoid confusion and give them time to make preparations.

The beginning of the next grading period is Nov. 3.

Asked what the teachers preference would be, Logue-Belden said: “I don’t want to put them in a spot, because I don’t think that would be fair to do at this point.”

Neidig suggested sending out an additional survey that includes all potential learning options before Tuesday’s meeting. He feels the school board owes it to the community.

“I think that there’s people that would like to continue the hybrid option, continue school the way it is,” Neidig said.

That motion failed 5-4. School board President Bill Lupone made the final vote regarding that motion.

Lupone said the public has been clear about what it wants, and the survey was clear that the schools wouldn’t be able to meet certain health and safety recommendations like social distancing.

“I believe we’re trying to balance safety and our children’s health on multiple levels with the fear of ‘What happens if …,’” Lupone said.

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