On May 11, 2020, PA Education Secretary Pedro Rivera, testifying in a PA Senate committee hearing, said that he expects students to go back to school in the fall, and that the PA Department of Education (PDE) will provide guidance in the coming weeks to help prepare staff to return to school buildings. Secretary Rivera acknowledged that schools will need additional aid to address challenges posed by school closures and the need to contain the COVID-19 virus.

Secretary Rivera also resisted the notion that students might not return to school buildings in the fall. Instead, he said that PDE intends to reopen schools with an emphasis on keeping students and staff safe, which will likely mean changes that involve following state PA Department of Health guidelines and recommendations.