Leechburg Area reports covid-19 cases dropping, in-person musical rehearsals underway

The number of active covid-19 cases in the Leechburg Area School District has decreased.

Superintendent Tiffany Nix reported one active case campuswide during Monday’s board meeting, which was a decrease from two active cases the week before.

Friday’s covid case tracker reported a further decrease to zero active cases, and 17 total cases since Jan. 1.

“Armstrong County is in the ‘moderate’ range now, no longer ‘substantial.’ so that is good,” Nix said.

The district added a covid tracker to the its website earlier this month. It displays the latest, year-to-date and inactive positive covid-19 cases for the elementary, middle and high school.

The tracker data is updated as positive cases are added and cases move past the 10 days of being active.

Maintenance supervisor Gino Geminetti updated the board on continuing covid-related cleaning efforts by custodial staff.

“Air filters and purifiers have been installed in the nurse’s office, cafeteria and shop building.

Disinfection is done daily with sprayers and a custodian is working the day shift wiping down all ‘high-touch’ areas as well as continuous cleaning,” Geminetti said.

He said a complete sanitizing and disinfecting takes place in all district buildings on “virtual Wednesdays,” when students in all grade learn remotely from home.

Automatic hand sanitizers have been placed in every room and teachers and staff have cloth cleaning pads to use for disinfecting between classes.

“Virtual Wednesdays are a tremendous opportunity for my staff to do a thorough cleaning,” Geminetti said.

Board president Neill Brady agreed.

“It’s working, and we appreciate the job they’re doing,” Brady said. “We’re cleaning above the CDC recommendations, which is good.”

Nix said it’s still unclear when covid-19 vaccines will be made available for district staff members.

“The drama and the worry with vaccines continues,” Nix said. She said the state is still trying to vaccinate the elderly and health-related workers in a status dubbed 1A, “and we have been told on a daily basis that we are not entering 1B (the next priority group) anytime soon.”

In other business

• Business Manager Deana Turner said the first draft of the 2021-22 budget has been completed.

But the draft does not include more than $700,000 in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds that district expects to receive.

Without that money, Turner said the district is projecting a $1 million shortfall.

Turner said district officials will continue to review the budget and how to best earmark the ESSER funds, which must be spent on covid-related expenses.

She said she will present a budget update next month which includes a tax millage projection.

• In-person rehearsals began this month for the 2021 spring high school musical production of “Lucky Stiff.”

Assistant director Nancy Tarella recently completed a free online course, earning a Safe Sets Covid-19 certificate on how to operate a theater production safely.

“We both thought it was a good idea for one of us to get certified and Ms. Tarella volunteered,” said director Alyssa Bruno Walls. “We are doing Safe Sets and following the guidelines set forth by the Educational Theatre Association.”

• An additional bus stop has been added for Bus 401 at 722 Route 66.

The board approved these volunteer positions: Mike Young and Bill Pierce, assistant varsity softball and Anne Romaniw, assistant junior-high volleyball.