HARRISBURG — The Harrisburg School District has modified its return to school plan after receiving feedback from parents and guardians along with seeing a large number of students register for online learning.

The first day of school has been pushed back to August 19th, and school days will now be from 8 a.m. to noon five days a week to allow for more time for teachers to interact with remote learning students. Students will be served breakfast at school and will be sent home with sack lunches.

Harrisburg Schools Superintendent Mike Gauch says almost 50 percent of students in the district so far have been signing up for remote learning, and that forced the district to go a different direction with their back to school plan. He says the plan, as with the virus and situation around us, is subject to change.

Gauch says in his years in education, his two guiding principles have been first to keep kids safe, and second to provide students a quality education. He says the district will continue to put student safety first as the situation continues to evolve.