Smart Talk Thursday: Pa. education chief talks school this fall; How many hours to work to pay rent; Seniors play ball

State planning to start classes on time but with major changes

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Dan Gleiter / PennLive

Custodian Luis Perez uses a cleaning solution applied to a cloth to wipe down all high-touch areas in a chemistry classroom. Custodial staff at East Pennsboro High School sanitize surfaces each day as a precautionary measure for the coronavirus, known as COVID-19, March 11, 2020.

Since Pennsylvania schools closed their physical buildings last March due to the coronavirus pandemic, there has been speculation about whether classes would begin on time in August and September and, if so, how they would be different.

Plans are being made for a fall opening of classes with dozens of guidelines from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Among the many issues that schools will have to address are transportation to and from school while maintaining social distancing, monitoring the health of students and staff, limiting the number of students and staff in a classroom, extracurricular activities like sports and band and attendance.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera and Deputy Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Matthew Stem appear on Thursday’s Smart Talk to discuss what changes are coming.

Also, we’ll examine a new report by Self Financial that pinpoints how many hours of work it takes in order to pay rent in Central Pennsylvania’s metro areas.

Pennsylvania is the 28th least affordable state according to the survey. A person making the median income of $39,490 a year would have to work 34.9 hours to afford a one-bedroom apartment and 43 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom. Self Financial’s Vice President Jeff Smith is on Smart Talk with more details.

High School baseball and softball players who missed their senior years due to the COVID-19 pandemic are being invited to play in an invitational this summer at PeoplesBank Park in York. York Revolution President Eric Menzer joins us to explain.