The Palmerton Area School District has been successful while operating under their hybrid learning model with minimal cases and no spread within the schools. There has also been a successful Fall Sports Season due to the health and safety protocols in place. Our children deserve a quality education and it's already a challenge being hybrid.  They need in person instruction. Having kids participate in extracurricular activities is so important to their mental health.  They need social interaction in a safe and healthy environment. 

On 11/17/20 our School Board voted to move to a full remote learning model due to Carbon County being in a "Substantial" phase of Covid-19 cases.  A comprehensive analysis was not presented to the School Board.  Palmerton Area School District has had 3 cases in November, 5 in October, and 1 in September as per the school website. Per the PA Department of Education: "School entity decisions on instructional models require a great deal of consideration of local factors including size of the school entity, classroom size, school resources, proportion of staff and students with special needs and underlying health conditions, and the ability to accommodate remote learning with equal access for all students." 

With the full remote learning model our school board decided there will be NO WINTER SPORTS/ACTIVIES. There are many schools who have been fully or partially remote since the beginning of the school year and still were able to have a full and successful Fall Sports Season. At a minimum we can simply amend our current health and safety plan to allow Winter Sports while the school is in a full remote instructional model.

We need our school board to reconvene prior to Thanksgiving and reconsider based on local FACTS.  Palmerton must continue in the learning models offered giving parents CHOICES to decide what works for best for their situation.  Palmerton kids must be afforded the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities regardless of the learning model.

Let's remember:

1. PA has not shut down the schools
2. Carbon County has not shut down (like Philadelphia)
3. Palmerton is a small school with little case activities in the schools
4. The School Board was elected to represent Palmerton
5. PIAA is moving forward with Winter Sports
6. Colonial League is moving forward with a modified schedule and official practice starts 11/20/20

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