In what Superintendent Dr. Jodi Frankelli said felt like a “now or never” moment to bring students back to the classroom five days a week in the 2020-21 school year, Palmerton Area School District’s board of directors chose now Tuesday night.

By an 8-1 vote, the board voted to approve an updated health and safety plan that calls for students to have the option to return to in-person instruction on a full time basis starting April 5.

Frankelli cited a number of factors that led to the administration’s recommendation for the return, including decreases in Carbon County’s incidence and percent positivity rates, and teacher vaccinations.

Read the complete story in Wednesday’s edition.