Wednesday, June 10, 2020, the Governor provided guidance in relation to the process for interscholastic athletics to return to play.  The guidance we received regarding our ability to bring our athletes back for limited practice/training involves the development and board approval of a health and safety plan for Daniel Boone Area School District Athletics.  Our athletic department and district leadership team have been working diligently to develop this plan, based on the guidance we have been receiving from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Center for Disease Control.  We are eager to get our athletes back in action; however, the health and safety of our students and staff remain our top priority.  

Considering that we received this guidance yesterday afternoon, we immediately began dedicating additional time to finalizing our health and safety plan for athletics that had already been in DRAFT form.  Our Department of Athletics & Activities will be meeting; via zoom, with various coaches, parent(s)/guardian(s), student-athletes on Friday to finalize the plan. We intend to present our plan to the Daniel Boone Area School District Board of School Directors for approval at our Monday, June 15, 2020 board of school directors meeting.  After board approval, we will communicate a start date for our fall high school athletic teams.  We anticipate that start date for optional pre-season workouts; in accordance with  PIAA guidelines, to be within the first week of July.  Coaches will be reaching out to their individual teams with specific details. Correspondence regarding fall middle school athletics will be shared by our Office of Athletics & Activities at a later time.

Please know that we are seeking additional guidance regarding what this means for our other extra-curricular/co-curricular activities (e.g. band, theater, etc.) and will be communicating that information as it becomes available.

According to the updated guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), these are preliminary guidelines that are designed to address the health and safety considerations that districts need to review, and specifically, assist in the development of a countywide Health and Safety Plan. PDE indicated that a template for the Health and Safety Plan will be available on their website later this week and that additional guidance regarding teaching and learning, student wellness, equity, and organized sports will be forthcoming later in the month.

Collectively, the 18 Berks County school districts, the two Career and Technology Centers, and the Berks County Intermediate Unit are committed to the development of a countywide roadmap for reentry. The goal is to make collaborative decisions and implement protocols consistently across Berks County schools. Reentry plans will be based on feedback from key stakeholders, as well as guidance from federal, state, and local governing agencies. 

The focus is to reopen buildings and schools and bring back staff members and students in a healthy and safe manner that complies with the guidance from governing agencies. Superintendents and job-alike leaders will be discussing the procedures and protocols and meeting with administrative teams to finalize the reentry roadmap and health and safety plans. Once these have been drafted, information in the plans will be reviewed and finalized with staff members, board members, and the local community.

Should schools hold graduation ceremonies and end of school year activities?

Graduation activities are a local decision made by each school. PDE does not approve a school’s graduation plan. 

Schools may hold virtual high school graduation and other end of school year ceremonies during the COVID-19 closure. The safety and security of all students and school communities are a priority for the commonwealth and all chief school administrators. Currently, restrictions on gatherings larger than ten people and aggressive social distancing recommendations are in place in some counties of the commonwealth. When closure restrictions are lifted by the Governor, schools may consider the appropriateness of holding such gatherings.