Seneca Valley School District on Monday passed a comprehensive return-to-school plan that outlines its protocols in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The document, which is required for districts by the state Department of Education ahead of a return to school in August, was not made available before the meeting nor was it available at press time.

During the meeting, which was held virtually, board members and Superintendent Tracy Vitale expounded on the current plan, including details on how the district currently plans to return in-person with a full-time schedule.

“It is what is best for many children,” Vitale said. “Not all, but many, children. School is a vital part for their development and for their growth.”

But, the members said, those plans are not set in stone. Vitale said the plan is a “living document” that is subject to change should changes be made by the state Department of Health or the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention.

“We all know that what we've seen is that news changes every day. What we're experiencing changes every single day,” she said. “And given that, we will have the opportunity to revisit this plan, as we mentioned earlier, on both Aug. 3 and Aug. 10.”

While Seneca Valley currently plans on returning five days a week, that doesn't mean all students must do so.

“Parents have a choice in using our traditional program and our cyber program,” said Sean McCarty, assistant superintendent of elementary education.

Parents are expected to make that choice within a week by using the district's online portal. Vitale said not every student within the same family has to be in the same program — that is, one student can take all in-person classes, while another can take all virtual classes.

This, she added, was an option pre-COVID-19, but is one that may receive more attention in the midst of the pandemic.

The plan, according to the board, also has contingencies for the possibility, however unlikely, Butler County is in either the yellow or red phase of reopening. In yellow, the district would move to a hybrid education plan, where some students would learn in-person and others virtually; in red, all students would learn remotely, as was the case in the district in the spring.

Seneca Valley sent out a survey to parents to aid in its reopening plans. Most parents responded their students would prefer in-person education.

Much of the plan was developed as a result of the district's Return-to-School Steering Committee, which has met Mondays and Wednesdays for nearly the past two months.

Eric DiTullio, school board vice president, said the plan is not all-encompassing.

“We've tried to account for everything, but it's impossible to account for everything,” he said.

Jeff Widdowson, a board member representing Callery and Harmony boroughs and Jackson Township, voted not to approve the plan, saying earlier in the meeting that he wanted to be sure the plan wouldn't imply the district would certainly return to school in-person five days per week.

“I'm just concerned (about) the message that we're going to be sending out tonight,” he said.