PARMA, Ohio — The cacophony of parent protests in favor of not only opening schools with students in classes, but also offering fall sports finds administrators attempting to make the right decision on how to begin the 2020-2021 school year.
For the Parma City Schools, which will begin classes remotely on Sept. 8, Superintendent Charles Smialek is hoping to punt the fall sports decision to the spring.
“Sports is a nightmare right now,” Smialek said. “You’re seeing all school districts throughout Northeast Ohio reacting in different ways. Some are keeping their athletes in phase 1 or 2 (of the state’s four-tier public health advisory system). Others — like myself — have listened to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, which is recommending that we not have extracurriculars and that we open remotely. That really puts all of us in a really difficult situation.
“I’m starting to get some support from other districts that moving fall sports into the spring — while it’s…
