November 13, 2020

Dear BASD Staff, Parents and Guardians,

Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) determined that Northampton County’s level of community COVID-19 transmission is now “substantial.” Northampton County’s rate of 213.2 new positive cases per 100,000 residents over the previous seven days exceeds the PA DOH substantial spread threshold of 100 new cases per 100,000 residents. Northampton County’s percentage of positive tests is now 8.0 percent, which exceeds the state target of less than 5 percent.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) currently recommends that districts move to full online learning when a county reaches the substantial spread category. However, PDE also recognizes each of Pennsylvania’s 500 districts is different and leaves to each local district the decision to remain in the hybrid model or to move to fully online instruction.

In partnership with the Bethlehem Health Bureau, St. Luke’s University Health Network and Northampton County School Superintendents, we have determined that it is in the best interest of our students, staff, and communities to maintain our current hybrid model of instruction until further notice. We will continue to monitor the data and reevaluate this decision regularly.

When making our decision to stay the course with our current hybrid model, we considered the fact that our health protocols, contact tracing and daily collaboration with the City of Bethlehem Health Bureau work well in preventing the spread of any COVID-19 cases in school. Additionally, the Northampton County superintendents discussed the challenges a shift in learning models will create for our students, families and community at large. We recognize that our districts are not entities unto themselves, but rather interwoven with other school communities whereby the decisions made by one has the potential to create a ripple effect across the region. Maintaining a level of consistency across Northampton County schools helps to alleviate the negative impact felt by all of our families and staff.

While we are continuing with the hybrid model at this time, COVID-19 case numbers in the community continue to escalate. The upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays will likely further accelerate the virus spread. Parents and staff should think now about childcare needs and prepare now for a future change to fully online learning which could come on short notice depending on quickly changing circumstances.

I want to thank all of our BASD faculty/staff, as well as our parents and students. None of us chose this difficult situation, yet it is ours to deal with. Let’s give each other a break and a helping hand. Let’s continue to treat each other with compassion and grace.

Sincerely,

Joseph J. Roy, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools