Leechburg Area to resume in-person instruction next week
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Leechburg Area School District plans to return to in-person instruction on Monday despite the state deeming there to be a “substantial” risk of covid-19 transmission in Westmoreland and Armstrong counties.
The school board approved the move in a 7-1 vote Wednesday following a lengthy discussion.
All students in grades pre-k to 12 are currently learning remotely from home. Students will continue to learn from home on Wednesdays and those electing to receive in-person instruction will go to school on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
All buildings on campus are sanitized and cleaned each Wednesday and on weekends.
“We are following the safety requirements, and beyond, as put forth by the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health,” said Leechburg Area Superintendent Tiffany Nix. “Health and safety are always our top priority.”
Athletics and other extracurricular activities are allowed to resume on Monday.
The district reported that its current covid cases involve two students and two staff members, all at the middle/high school.
The district includes students from Westmoreland and Armstrong counties, both of which the state define as having a “substantial” risk of covid transmission. Westmoreland’s average incidence rate over the past seven days stood at 321.2 cases per 100,000 people and the test positivity rate was 14.3%, while Armstrong’s incidence rate was 327.9 cases per 100,000 people and the test positivity rate was 14.1%, according to the Department of Health.
For the covid transmission risk to be considered “substantial,” the incidence rate must be more than 100 cases per 100,000 people and the test positivity rate must be over 10%.
While students will be able to return to school on Monday, Nix said all students would attend school virtually for the week after New Year’s Day in an effort to minimize any risk of the virus spreading after the holidays, when people are more likely to travel or gather with larger groups of family and friends. The dates of virtual instruction are tentatively set for Jan. 4-8.
“Please keep in mind, if we see a rise in covid-19 cases in the school like we did prior to Thanksgiving, our mode of education could change without warning,” Nix wrote. “Our hope is that our extra precautions will eliminate this risk, but some things are out of our control.”
Nix reminded parents that virtual learning is available to anyone in the district and will remain an option throughout the school year.
School board president Neill Brady said the district is exceeding cleaning recommendations.
“Mrs. Nix has been vigilant,” Brady said. “The building is sprayed with disinfectant five times a week.”
Brady praised the custodial crew for providing a deep clean to all district buildings, but took aim at the state government for showing what he considered to be a lack of leadership.
“There’s not specific guidance from the government,” Brady said. “It would be nice to have a directive from the state telling us what school districts should have to do. The guidance is not a directive.”
Brady said he hopes 2021 will offer a more routine academic school year.
“A vaccine is coming and hopefully by next school year we won’t have this concern,” Brady said.