PA students phase back into the building

On March 16, the Pembroke School Board made the unanimous decision allow all students to return into their respective buildings by May 4. 

PA started to bring back students with the greatest academic needs, particularly seniors failing two or more classes. 

Recently, students enrolled in AP classes were offered the option to return as well. However, those students are only allowed to attend for the block when the AP class is held for four days a week. 

PA’s plan to return in full will continue incrementally, bringing back seniors first then juniors, sophomores and freshmen, respectively. Today, March 26, the seniors in Cohort A returned full-time.

Students who opted to attend fully remote are not required to return to the building but they are “encouraged,” said headmaster Dr. Morris.

For many students, the return to full-capacity has been a long time coming.  “I think it’s about time we come back, as long as it’s progressively,” said senior Rene Pinter.  

Transportation, however, is still one of the main points of discussion. 

“With everyone beginning to come back, we are going to need to work with the families of juniors and seniors in regards to transportation,” said Dr. Morris. 

Parking passes will again be issued to students; however, unlike previous years, these parking passes will be free. “It doesn’t make sense to make students pay for a parking pass when almost the entire year has gone by,” said Dr. Morris. 

Seniors will receive priority with the parking passes, which has caused some tension between the students.

Some seniors believed they’ve earned this right. “I definitely think it’s fair,” Pinter said. “We’ve been waiting four years and we’ve had to deal with Covid.”

Junior Megan Teask, disagrees. “I understand, but everyone is still going to have to park there,” she said. “Are the juniors parking there now not going to be able to park there?” 

In an email, Dr. Morris said that there will be upcoming dates when students can get their parking passes. Any senior that claims a parking pass will be guaranteed one, while passes will be issued to juniors on a “first come first serve” basis, he wrote. 

Seniors will be able to pick up their passes on March 29, while juniors will be able to pick theirs up March 30. Enforcement of the parking passes begins on April 1.