Bethel Park to remain at 4 days in-person learning the rest of the school year
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Bethel Park School District students will remain on a four-day in-person schedule through the rest of this school year.
School directors adopted a resolution solidifying that plan Tuesday night.
It also authorizes the administration to start planning for five-day in-person learning at the start of next school year.
Board President Pamela Dobos said she supports maintaining the current model due to the recently adjusted covid protocols, particularly the one about being able to reset the number of allowable cases prior to a school being shut down.
“In the past we’ve had to close schools here, there and everywhere,” Dobos said. “Right now, with that time period of being able to close on Friday and clean, we can reset the numbers for Monday at zero and continue with our education.”
The district went remote for a few days in December due to a spike in covid cases.
Building and grounds staff will continue to utilize state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to clean, sanitize, disinfect and ventilate learning spaces and other areas. All products used meet those guidelines.
A remote learning option remains available.
There are about 3,870 students in the district, including just under 1,370 at the high school.
The district has offered four-day in-person learning since February.
Superintendent James Walsh said he was not comfortable recommending going to five days yet due recent case numbers.
He said there were 589 cases in schools throughout Allegheny County within the past week, with 580 of them being student cases.
The reopening plan is still subject to change should there be another wave of infections.
“There’s still transmission among students, and that concerns us,” Walsh said. “I don’t have a crystal ball, but if nothing else changes then we should be able to finish the year with four days in person.
“We’ll always have an online cyber option for our students. We’ve had that previous to the pandemic. We continue it during and we want to continue it after the pandemic.”
The district has 14 active cases as of the past two weeks and a total of 227 unresolved cases this school year, according to the district’s covid dashboard.
All covid safety measures remain in place such as social distancing when and where possible and everyone wearing masks.
The last day of school this year is June 11. Next school year starts Aug. 24.
The reopening plan was posted to the meeting’s agenda via BoardDocs.