North Allegheny schools going back to full remote instruction

North Allegheny students returned to an online-only form of instruction Dec. 16 and will continue until at least Jan. 18 to help slow the spike in covid-19 cases gripping the region, district officials announced.

The district informed families by letter that the change back to remote instruction is being made at the behest of federal, state and local health officials who have asked that steps be taken to slow the spread of the virus.

“Moving to remote learning is a difficult decision,” said acting superintendent Patrick O’Toole. “We know it will impact our students, staff and families in different ways. Our goal this year has been to maximize in-person learning opportunities for our students while minimizing the spread of covid-19. At this time, that goal is not sustainable.”

Allegheny County on Wednesday reported 34 new coronavirus deaths, a record for a single day, and 727 additional coronavirus cases.

The death toll for the county stands at 619. There have been 105 deaths this month.

The district’s letter to parents noted that students in kindergarten through fifth grade returned to full, in-person instruction on Dec. 8. They went back to remote classes on Dec. 16.

Students in grades six through 12 who have been attending a blend of online and in-person classes since mid-November also returned to full-remote classes on Dec. 14.

As of press time Dec. 10, there were 20 active cases of covid-19 in the district, according to a covid tracker created by the district.

Seven of the cases are at the senior high school, two are at the intermediate school, three are at Carson Middle School, one is at Ingomar Middle School and two are at Marshall Middle School.

There also is one active case each at McKnight, Hosack and Marshall elementary schools as well as two cases affecting members of the district’s transportation staff.

There have been 122 covid cases in the district during the pandemic, affecting 41 members of the staff and 81 students.

The district also has 245 people — 230 students and 15 staff —in quarantine because of possible exposure to the coronavirus.

O’Toole praised staff, parents and students for their efforts during the pandemic.

“As we move towards winter break, we know that our students, teachers and staff have worked hard to make the best of these challenging circumstances,” he said. “The continued support of our entire community will be key for us to finish the 2020-2021 school year strong.”