Student tests positive for covid-19 at Kiski Intermediate School

A student has tested positive for covid-19 at Kiski Intermediate School, a letter from Superintendent Tim Scott said, but the school will remain open.

The Department of Health was contacted and the district is following state recommendations, according to the letter, sent Friday.

“Last night the Department of Health informed the district of a revised timeline based on their receipt of new information and will communicate with individuals who are close contacts,” Scott wrote. “Kiski Area Intermediate School will remain open. We will continue to look at all cases individually and base closures on information received and the recommendations from the Department of Health and the Department of Education.”

There have been at least six cases reported within the district, including students and staff. Last week, two high school staff members tested positive; the week before, a staff member and student at the upper elementary and a student at North Primary. None of the cases resulted in the closure of school buildings.

“It is important to consider if cases are community transmitted or school transmitted and if the positive covid-19 individuals were in the building while they were contagious,” reads the most recent letter to parents.

Community transmission in Westmoreland County is currently a key concern, as the county was moved to the “substantial” category on the state’s Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard last week. The designation is given to counties once their covid-19 incidence rate in the preceding seven days rises above 100 infections per 100,000 residents. Westmoreland County’s incidence rate landed at 140 infections per 100,000 residents.

The state Department of Health and Department of Education recommend that schools in counties with the “substantial” designation move to 100% remote learning, but the ultimate decision still lies with individual school districts.

The designation was a predominant topic at Kiski Area’s school board meeting last week, as the district continued discussions about possibly expanding in-person learning for students. Beginning Nov. 2 at the earliest, the district hopes to offer an optional four days of in-school learning with one day of remote learning.