A Dual Option Plan is proposed for Reopening Central Bucks Schools for Fall 2020. Signees of this petition are taxpayers and residents within the Central Bucks School District. 

Both options would be implemented by the school district and parents would have the choice of either option.

1) Option #1- Reopen schools as normal as previously run prior to Covid-19. Sports and extracurriculars would be available. Faculty, staff, students can wear PPE if they choose to protect themselves but it will be OPTIONAL not forced. Masks will not be worn outdoors or with exercise. Parents, staff, and teachers may be asked to sign a liability waiver to attend school.

2) Option #2- If option #1 is not desired, teachers and students will be given the option to participate in a distance learning Central Bucks cyber school. This will allow tax dollars to remain in the Central Bucks school system.

Both options allow flexibility for all current families enrolled. Both options minimize teacher layoffs and a decline in the student population with removal from the school system, but maintains a high quality school system. 

 

The following information was taken directly from CDC Website or State of PA website https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Cases.aspx

1) The US population as of 2018 is 327,,000,000 (327 million). The number of Covid cases currently was 1,842,000 and deaths were 107,000.  US Covid cases represents 0.6% of the population and the death rate is 0.03% of the population. THEREFORE THE SURVIVAL RATE OF COVID IS  > 99.7%.  This virus does not affect children greatly as US children under 17 are  60,000 so 3% of ALL cases. We have 50 million seniors over the age of 65 in this country (20%). Therefore elderly and children also survive this virus by 99%. 

2) Pennsylvania has a population of 13 million.  Covid= 74,000 cases and 5817 deaths. Again, follows the SAME US trend of 0.6% cases and 0.04% death rate.  Amount of cases under the age of 18 again follows the trend of 3%. Survival rate is >99% for the entire population.

3) A normal flu year has these statistics per the most recent data for 2017/2018. CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fflu%2Fabout%2Fdisease%2Fburden.htm
Flu estimated cases for 2017 were 45 million and deaths 61,000   (15% of population cases and 0.02% death rate). Flu Death rate is similar to Covid.

4) Sweden never was on lockdown and here is their data to date.  Total population is 10 million. They however had 45,000 cases (which is too low to take seriously) BUT more importantly a LOWER Death Count and Rate then PA: 4639 deaths which is a 0.04% death rate and a 99% SURVIVAL RATE. PA HAS THE SAME DEATH RATE AS SWEDEN. Their children went to school, practiced social distancing but no masks, partitions or separation occurred. 

Wearing Masks:
https://www.technocracy.news/blaylock-face-masks-pose-serious-risks-to-the-healthy/​

https://jennifermargulis.net/healthy-people-wearing-masks-during-covid19/

While these articles are summaries, they list several scientific studies which show a risk to wearing masks long term. "Several studies have indeed found significant problems with wearing such a mask. This can vary from headaches, to increased airway resistance, carbon dioxide accumulation, to hypoxia, all the way to serious life-threatening complications."  It has been also shown that masks will not actually prevent the virus from getting into your body because the size of the cloth pore (even N-95 mask) is not small enough to prevent it from getting through. Based on this evidence,  I STRONGLY CAUTION this school district from implementing direct cloth face masks for staff and students.  Face shields are another issue, but if face shields also do not prevent the spread of disease, why are we wearing them at all? Traditionally, if you are sick, you stay home. Coupled with a >99% survival rate for this disease,the survival rate of our population is accurate and similar to the flu. https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/11/health/hand-sanitizers-ingredients-safety-fda-rule-bn/index.html

Other reasons to ponder and consider in your decision based on my experience as a human, and parent in this school system:

1) Humans are social beings and our educational system has been in place for hundreds of years because it works. Frankly, I do not know one person, parent, student, or teacher who didn't think this lockdown was one of the worst experiences of their lives. At the school level, mental health issues increased: depression, suicide, drug use, low self-esteem, and regression for special needs children who lack their normal services. Socially, spring sports were cancelled, social events like prom and graduation is not being offered,  even though social distancing is clearly no longer being followed by the protestors. Child abuse and domestic violence have dramatically increased. Georgia was the first state to reopen May 1st and their numbers are STILL lower and death rate is much lower than ours. Georgia is like Sweden and has a population of 10 million and has had 2300 deaths or 0.02% death rate. Numbers don't LIE.
2)  Our school district is paid by our taxes.   If schools do not open as normal, is the school district willing to accept a loss of tax revenue due to cyber school enrollment, homeschooling or private school alternatives elsewhere? Not opening school as normal could mean a significant loss in school tax revenue, loss of teacher and staff jobs, and in general a decline of our school system. I believe in this school district and want it to thrive not decline. 
3) Our society is litigious. Unfortunately, this is an undeniable fact. We have a clear example of how a law suit has hampered and affected our school district for years: CB EAST football stadium and lights. Taxpayers have chosen to live here because of the high quality of the school system, and if denied that reality, I see multiple law suits in this school districts future.... from parents who's child's education was minimized, from special needs families who can't have access to the teachers and are regressing, parents whose children mental health has declined, or parents who's kids are failing because of distance learning options ( I hear from many teachers that this is already occurring now). 
4) Our teachers need to teach.  Teachers want to be with their students and need the interaction with the children to be effective teachers. That is the way our educational system works. Adding another level where the teachers become cleaners, hygiene monitors, and constantly worried about mask enforcement will not let them teach. That is not their job, nor should it be their focus. 
5) Masks/partitions/face shields are barriers to human expression and free thinking.  There is a growing trend to ban solitary confinement in prisons as it is considered inhumane. Separation and isolation can NOT be healthy for our children. They need interaction in order to learn not separation. I also see these methods as a huge detriment to our mental health in schools and society. How do you create school community and spirit? 

Solutions: This school district needs help right now, and I want to offer you a practical solution that would attempt to minimize all these issues, but also take into account the fact that you do have a small population of teachers/parents who are truly concerned and afraid. Theirs concerns are also warranted.

The ONLY Option: the only successful path to reopening school that I see is actually all-inclusive for those who are concerned and those who aren't. 

1)Resume all schools as normal WITHOUT masks, staffed by teachers who want to teach in the classroom. Sports will resume, clubs etc. to give our kids the school system that they deserve. Required hand washing as they ENTER and LEAVE school can be an effective means to control the spread of this disease. Anyone would be welcome to wash their hands multiple times a day. 
2)Those teachers and parents who are concerned can be grouped together in distance learning groups to continue the same education at home. It doesn't matter if a Tohickon teacher teaches a Holicong student as they are virtual. The parent/student can choose to reenter the regular school system at the start of any semester. I have heard that North Penn school district has already implementing their own cyber school. However, this cyber school should not replace our normal education method.

This solution resolves other factors: 
1) Stops the Decline in the mental health of our children,
2) Prevents tax revenue from leaving our school district
3) Prevents staff cuts/ layoffs
4) Allows all parents to have an option to choose which option they feel is best for their children
5) Stops potential law suits that drain our financial resources
6) Stops potential health risks of mask wearing to our ENTIRE population. Whether at school or home the students will NOT be wearing a mask. 
7) Stops implementation of social distancing, partitions, barriers and other separation techniques will be a detriment on our teachers and students mental and physical health. 
8) Builds confidence back in our school system that you can provide a good education which stops a mass exodus.
9) Allows our kids to retain school spirit, social norms and continue moving forward on a succeful path to college or future careers. 

My children deserve the education that they were getting PRIOR to this, and if they can't receive the same benefits then I will find it elsewhere. I hear the same message from many other parents. Some have already decided to pull their kids and enroll them in cyber school. 

II want to make one final point:  There is NO PA LAW currently that mandates that you have to implement any of these guidelines put out by the State or CDC. They are guidelines. There is also NO LAW in PA that says that you have to wear a mask.  The Governor threatened small business with empty promises of shutting them down but yet, many businesses reopened silently in May. The Bucks County District Attorney and Sheriff indicated they would not prosecute... because it wasn't the law (see attached documents). Many of our state representatives and citizens were very upset at the delay of Reopening and abuse of power. You can look at these guidelines and view them for what they are: guidelines NOT THE LAW.  Our Government and Scientists are not always right, and we have seen many examples of hypocrisy and contradiction throughout these past months. I am suggesting that you use the data I provided, think about what is best for our community, and do the right thing for our students, teachers and parents. Do not be afraid. Reopen schools as normal AND also offer distance learning or your own virtual cyber school (North Penn already is preparing) to keep school tax dollars in the district.