DALLAS TWP. — After a detailed report on COVID-19 cases and protocols in the district and a lengthy discussion among board members and via written viewer comments, the Dallas School Board voted to continue classes in the current hybrid mode, with the option to temporarily “shift to online programming as needed related to positive COVID cases and the contact tracing process.”
The virtual meeting vote came the same day Superintendent Thomas Duffy posted an notice on the district website announcing two new positive cases were reported to the district, one employee at Wycallis Primary Center and the other a student at Dallas High school. The student was in the “B” hybrid group, which attends classes in person Thursdays and Fridays, meaning there was no close contact on campus with that person Monday.
District Operations Manager Jason Rushmer began the meeting giving a detailed report on how the district handles cases and what the state recommendations are. He said the district has had three new cases in the last 14 days, the stretch during which the state shifted Luzerne County from “moderate” risk to “substantial” risk.
The state recommends districts in “substantial” status switch to full remote learning, but so far the decision has been left to local school boards. Board Member Patrick Musto, who strongly disagreed with the initial decision to open in hybrid mode rather than with all students returning five days a week, questioned the definition of “substantial, arguing it was too broad when applied to the county rather than to the district.People sending in comments voiced support for both hybrid and full-remote.
In the end, with one member absent, the board voted 7-1 to continue in hybrid. Susan Allen voted no.