A Dual Option Plan is proposed for Reopening Morrisville Schools for Fall 2020. Signees of this petition are taxpayers and residents within the Morrisville 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 Morrisville District CYBER School. This will allow tax dollars to remain in the Morrisville 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%.  In all age categories regardless of immuniocompromised, elderly, or youth populations, the survival rate is >99%. 

2) Pennsylvania has a population of 13 million and the Survival rate is also >99% for the entire population.

3) Sweden never was on lockdown and total population is 10 million. Their death rate was 4639 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."   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 ompletely, 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. 

Other considerations that directly affect the school district parents, children and staff:

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 increased. 
2)  Our school district is paid by our taxes.   If schools do not open as normal, is the school district willing to accept a potential loss of tax revenue due to outside 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. Taxpayers expect a continued in person school exvironment. There could be 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.
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.  Separation and isolation can NOT be healthy for our children. They need interaction and the ability to fully express themselves in order to learn. 

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 population of teachers/parents who are truly concerned. Theirs concerns are also valid.

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. No temperature checks.
2)Those teachers and parents who are concerned can be grouped together in Cyber School groups to continue the same education at home. Real time video streaming in school could be enabled to allow students to be part of the school system without wearing masks. 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 successful 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 an alternative 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 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 Our Government and Scientists are not always right, and we have seen many examples of hypocrisy and contradiction throughout these past months.  Reopen schools as normal AND also offer distance learning or your own virtual cyber school to keep school tax dollars in the district.