North Hills School District outlines reopening plan

The North Hills School District has developed a plan for the reopening of schools in the fall.

The plan, which was outlined during Tuesday night’s school board meeting, has separate contingencies for how to educate students during each of the color-coded phases created by the state to help limit the spread of coronavirus.

District officials say the goal is to provide in-person instruction during the entire 2020-21 school year.

While holding online classes online during the coronavirus pandemic was essential, the district cited studies that found virtual learning to be a less than ideal way to educate children.

They cited a study conducted by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Education Laboratory that found virtual classes:

• Create a substantial educational loss

• Impose a burden on parents

• Cause a detriment to students’ social, emotional and and physical health

• Are less likely to keep students engaged and learning.

If Allegheny County is in the “red phase” when school is set to resume, the district will hold all classes online.

The district’s outline for reopening is a preliminary plan. The school board is scheduled to vote on whether to approve it at its July 23 meeting.

The district plans to announce Aug. 6 how students will attend classes if the county is in the “yellow” or “green” phase.

State guidelines allow classes to resume at reduced capacity in the “yellow phase” if all health and safety rules to slow the spread of coronavirus are followed.

Schools can reopen at full capacity with physical distancing and other safety measures when the county is in the “green phase,” according to the state guidelines.

The first day of school is scheduled for Aug. 25.

All students will be given the option to attend the district’s Online Academy. The deadline to sign up for the Online Academy is Aug. 10. Students must attend the Online Academy for at least nine weeks before they can transition back into regular classes.

The Online Academy is available to district students who prefer a non-traditional educational experience. It also offers summer school classes for students in other districts.

The phased reopening plan also includes the following new health and safety guidelines:

• Increased daily cleaning and sanitizing of all buildings and spaces, with special attention to high-traffic areas and frequently touched surfaces

• Wiping down desks, tables and classroom material throughout the school day

• Increased sanitizing and cleaning of school buses

• Increased classroom ventilation; recommendation to keep windows open and use outdoor spaces when possible

• Limited sharing of classroom materials

• Disinfect shared items after each use

• Replace water fountains with bottle filling stations

• Add sanitizer stations to buildings and adjust schedules to allow more time for hand cleaning

• Signs placed throughout buildings outlining hygiene “best practices”

• Temporary ban on assemblies and field trips.

To promote social distancing, desks will all face in the same direction in staggered rows and be at least 4- to 6-feet apart.

All unnecessary furniture and area rugs will be removed from buildings and use of common areas and hallways will be staggered.

Non-essential visitors and classroom volunteers will be prohibited and all students and staff will be required to wear face masks.

Changes in the cafeteria include increased spacing of tables and chairs — including using hallways if necessary to maintain social distancing.

Students also will be encouraged to bring their own lunches or eat “grab-and-go” meals to avoid lines.

More information about the district’s reopening plan is available online.