On Wednesday, June 3rd, PA Education Secretary Pedro Rivera announced that the pre-k to 12 public schools of the Commonwealth that are located within the state’s less restrictive reopening zones can resume in-person instruction and other activities on July 1, 2020, a date that officially begins the 2020-21 school year. Guidance issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) allows schools in the green and yellow zones under the stoplight-colored reopening system, provided that they adopt health and safety procedures that meet both federal and state guidelines. In the PDE press release, Secretary Rivera said that the guidance is provided to help schools to create and implement “a framework that best meets the unique needs of their students and communities.”
K-12 schools looking to begin teaching students in person are required to develop plans that are unique to each school’s particular circumstances. In addition, local health agencies must be consulted and the plan must be ultimately be submitted to PDE. Schools will also be required to identify a pandemic coordinator, issue hygiene guidelines, limit large gatherings, ensure those students and staff at higher risk of infection are protected, monitor people for symptoms, and develop plans for cleaning, the wearing of face masks, social distancing, and transportation.
According to Sec. Rivera, school districts will be provided with a great deal of flexibility with regard to their own reopening plans. Schools will not be required to have all students learning in person on the first day they reopen. He also stated that, “One of the considerations in the plan is understanding not every family may want, or be able, to send their kids physically back to school.
The re-opening guidelines do not apply to private schools. However, colleges and similar post-secondary institutions must also adhere to PDE guidelines, must provide a phased return to campus, and must include earlier start and finish dates for the 2020-21 academic year.
To access the PDE guidance documents, click here or go to: