KARNS CITY — Karns City Area School Board approved a school reopening plan Tuesday that gives parents the choice of allowing their children to attend classes in person or through remote learning when classes begin Aug. 26.

The school district reopening committee recently surveyed parents and found that 62 families prefer remote learning, said Mike Stimac, co-principal for grades seven to nine and a committee member.

He said 528 parents, representing about 1,100 students, responded to the survey. Of the 62 families who preferred online education, 30 have children in the junior/senior high school, 21 have children in Chicora Elementary School and 11 have children in Sugarcreek Elementary School, he said.

“Out of those respondents, I believe 29 indicated they don't have internet access,” Stimac said.

He said the district will find ways to accommodate families without internet access.

With district enrollment at 1,325, the survey results were a good representation of district parents and students, Superintendent Eric Ritzert said.

He said the district applied for two noncompetitive grants totaling $380,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funding through the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for technology and school sanitization.

The grants are expected to be awarded later this month, and the district expects to receive the full amount it applied for, he added

The district has enough Chromebook laptop computers for all students and teachers, but a WiFi hot spot could be needed to send classwork to students who don't have internet access, Ritzert explained, adding how such a hot spot could be set up in school parking lots.

Ritzert understands some parents are apprehensive about sending their children to school during the coronavirus pandemic. He said another survey will be conducted closer to the beginning of the school year.

The reopening plan, which will be posted on the district's website along with the athletic health and safety plan, calls for cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting and ventilating learning spaces, surfaces, restrooms, hallways, water fountains and buses.

It also includes social distancing of 6 feet of separation between students and staff as much as possible, restricting the use of cafeterias and serving meals in other places such as classrooms and staggering the use of communal spaces.

Developing hand-washing schedules for students and staff and placing hand sanitizers at classroom and building entrances also are part of the plan.