Great Valley School District To Vote On Reopening Aug. 3

MALVERN, PA — Great Valley School District will hold a special virtual board meeting on Aug. 3 to make a final review of its Health and Saftey Plan for Reopening and vote on a plan.

Additional details related to reopening procedures, virtual learning, in-person programs, and safety measures will be shared in the meeting, according to the school district. The Great Valley School Board may at that time approve the plan presented.

Great Valley School District Acting Superintendent Dr. Daniel Goffredo said in a mid-July correspondence, "How we reopen is dependent on many factors outside of our control; specifically, state and medical guidance that continue to change and evolve. Therefore, our communication will be ongoing, and will reflect the guidelines within which we must work."

At the beginning of June, the district received preliminary guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Education mandating the formation of a Pandemic Team, in response to the spread of the coronavirus. Great Valley's final plan for reopening has integrated state guidance, and will require approval by the School Board in August.
GVSD said there are currently four scenarios for the fall. They are:

• Schools open normally with a virtual option for families;
• A scaffolded reopening in which some students engage in live instruction and others participate in distance learning;
• A blended option (part-time in school and part-time from home); or
• Everyone continues in virtual instruction.

"Much of the decision-making will rely on whether Chester County is in the yellow or green phase and what those definitions mean," the district told parents in July. "We are hopeful that schools will be able to open normally in the fall. However, we also understand that we could see a surge in COVID-19 cases later in the year that forces us to again close schools and move back to virtual instruction."

Plans, goals, and concerns related to reopening schools were offered to the public in a virtual presentation on July 20. Responses to a survey closed on July 24.

The GVSD superintendent said earlier in July that the goal of "Great Valley is to open schools five days a week in the fall if we can safely do so within the regulations provided to all Pennsylvania school districts. The safety of students and staff remains our top priority; therefore, we will rely heavily on the medical advice and guidance provided to us."

Following the Aug. 3 meeting at 7:30 p.m., families in the Great Valley district will be invited to respond to a survey and make their choice from among the school board approved options.

The Great Valley District School Board will hold another meeting on Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Data related to families' selections of virtual or in-person learning options will be presented. Any additional revisions or clarifications to the Health and Safety Plan for Reopening will be shared at that time.

Goffredo added, "Some of those regulations may make the reopening of schools unrealistic or may force us to examine alternate schedules. We just don’t know yet. For now, we are working to be prepared for in-person learning, virtual learning, or perhaps a blend of the two approaches."

"No matter the circumstance, Great Valley will be ready to welcome students back to learning in the fall. I sincerely appreciate our families’ support and patience as we navigate this new landscape for education," said Goffredo.

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