Reading School Board member Patricia Wright is not giving up the fight to have some sort of fall athletics program this year.

Wednesday night, during the “old business” portion of the board’s meeting, Wright once again made a plea for sports to return.

“Will the administration consider allowing our children to at least practice together?” Wright asked. “At the very least can our kids see each other, can they interact, can they spend time with their coaches? That’s what I have for old business. It’ll continue to be old business.”

The school board voted 8-1 Aug. 6 to suspend all extracurricular activities, including sports, because of health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Parents and student-athletes implored the board to reconsider when it met Aug. 26, but no action was taken at that meeting.

The board held a special meeting on Sept. 6 to discuss and vote on restarting extracurricular activities, but the board voted 5-3 to keep extracurricular activities shut down.

Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, district superintendent, said the district has been discussing a return to play.

“We heard you loud and clear, and we took a look at it,” Mumin said. “These conversations continue to be fluid and in the now, and we’re not discounting any option to see how we can keep kids safe in regards to a full return to athletics and activities.”

Wright pointed out that while many colleges were not playing sports, their athletes were still practicing.

“Now most of those colleges have gone and reversed their decisions and are playing,” she said.

Mumin said the school district could not do what the Big Ten conference has done to keep athletes safe.

“We said ‘OK, how are they doing it? Is that something we can add on to how we conduct our business around athletics and activities?” he said. “The answer was an emphatic no.

“They are implementing daily testing of their athletes and coaches. I don’t know if there is any school district that has that capacity.”

The district has been in discussions with the PIAA over a spring season for fall sports.

The PIAA met on Wednesday, and a series of motions were proposed to allow schools that postponed fall sports to have those sports in the spring. No decision was made, and PIAA officials said it was too early to make plans.

“It’s being taken very seriously by the PIAA and we will continue to update you as things come to fruition in regards to any plans the PIAA presents,” Mumin said.

Mumin added that the administration is looking at the district’s plan to return students to the classroom at the end of the first marking period, and the board will be briefed in October.

“That discussion is beginning to intensify,” Mumin said. “Looking at which way this pandemic is going, we will be reporting if we will be looking at transition at the end of the first marking period as previously planned.”