Palmerton Area School District is planning a return to in-person school board meetings, starting with the July 20 voting session.

The board reached a consensus during Tuesday night’s workshop to make that move, but remains undecided on whether district residents will still be able to participate in meetings via Zoom after the change takes place.

Directors were split on the idea and, at the June 15 meeting, will hear from technology director Dan Heaney on the district’s capability to make such an option available to the public.

“I think the more ways we give people an opportunity to participate in a meeting, the better,” board member Kate Baumgardt said. “I don’t see why we would punish people who can’t make a meeting from being able to speak. I think the future of a lot of things in this country will not only be in person anymore.”

Others felt keeping a Zoom option would mean empty board meeting rooms.

“I believe if we are going back to regular meetings, I do believe we need the public in our meeting,” Director Doris Zellers said. I anticipate it would be difficult to have all of us seeing a person on a Zoom. I would like to put faces with the people bringing issues to us. To me, returning to normal is returning to normal.”

Board President Kathy Fallow cited Palmerton’s impressive participant count during the Zoom meetings.

“We’ve had 200 people on and I think that is wonderful,” she said. “It is a convenient way to participate. Parents don’t have to find a sitter. It would, however, be nice to see some faces and I think some parents will come in person.”

Most board members, like Barry Scherer, said they would be fine with the district livestreaming meetings.

“I am opposed to Zoom, however, after we go back in-person,” Scherer said. “If we’re going to Zoom, let’s all be on Zoom. We may have 200 people on a Zoom, but it’s the same five or six people commenting. If people are interested enough, it’s imperative upon them to show up in person.”

Audrey Larvey said finding a babysitter isn’t the only reason someone may choose to participate by Zoom, if that option remains available.

“I don’t know that normal is ever going to be what it used to be,” Larvey said. “Numbers are way down, but there are still people who have medical concerns. They may be passionate about attending meetings, but have concerns about doing so in person. This would still give them an option to participate, but not risk their health.”

While he labeled himself “old school” on Tuesday, director Earl Paules said the district now has the technology available to potentially make a Zoom option work.

“We learned a lot in the last year-and-a-half,” he said. “It’s a new day and a new time and we have to get on board. I can see the advantages of someone being involved in something without physically being there.”

July 20 will be the first post-pandemic in-person meeting for Palmerton after the board agreed Tuesday to cancel the July 6 workshop.

“It’s been a tough year and I’m certainly in favor of giving our administration a workshop off that they don’t have to prepare for,” Fallow said