The board of school directors for the Council Rock School District recently agreed to extend its partnership with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit and offer the Bridges program through the end of the 2021-22 academic year. It will only be available moving forward for the 18 students currently enrolled, but case-by-case exceptions may be made. Bridges, which at the start of the school year included 44 students, was originally set to expire this month.
The Bridges program allows K-6 families who are cautious of in-person learning due to COVID-19 to have students learn from home. While the curriculum covers content required by the state, it’s not taught by Council Rock teachers, nor does it utilize the same resources as the district.
Bridges students typically had the option to return to their “home” classroom at Council Rock at any point, but the board is requesting that participants stay in the program through June. Members argued that the shift in curriculum would be confusing for students and teachers alike.
“I’m not doing the bouncing,” said board member Michael Thorwart. “It’s not nice for the kids who are back in school because when those kids come back, then we have to do the same shuffle on our end.”
