Penn Hills School District halts plans to have more students in school 4 days a week

Plans to have more Penn Hills School District students attend in-person classes four days a week have been halted due to rising covid-19 cases.

Students in first through 12th grade will instead remain in the hybrid model through the end of the year.

Educational options will be reexamined in January.

The board had authorized kindergarten students to come back to the elementary school four days a week starting this month, with the goal of extending that option to grades 1, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12 on Dec. 1 and remaining students in January.

That officially changed Tuesday night as board members opted to keep things as they are with students beyond kindergarten divided into two groups each learning in person a couple days a week and online on their off days.

“Considering the numbers keep going up, I don’t think we have a choice in the matter,” board President Erin Vecchio said. “I would love to have all kids back in school five days a week, but we have to look at the numbers and do what Harrisburg tells us to do.”

Penn Hills has had 21 covid cases since March 13, according to a report posted on the district’s website.

Eight of those cases involved people who have not be on-site since March.

Seven were at the high school, one at Linton Middle School and four at the elementary school.

District officials have only identified the individuals as “affiliates,” and have not specified if they are students or staffers.

“PHSD affiliates who have tested positive for covid-19 have either had no symptoms or have fully recovered with no complications,” according to the update posted by Superintendent Nancy Hines. “I am also thankful that our covid-mitigation strategies at PHSD remain effective.”

One of those efforts was hiring Trafford-based Mobile Health Services to do screenings daily at a cost of just over $5,000 per week.

Vecchio said students with high temperatures have been denied access to the schools as a result of the screenings. The number of how many students sent home since the start of the year was unavailable.

“I think they’re helping big time,” Vecchio said about the service. “I think all school districts should be doing temperature checks. Our (covid) numbers are low because we check kids before they come in the school.”

Elementary Principal Kristin Brown delivered a presentation at Tuesday night’s board meeting showing how students and staff have adapted since the Sept. 4 drive-thru orientation day and start of school on Sept. 8.

Elementary enrollment was listed at 1,344 students with 189 in kindergarten. Nearly 70% of kindergartners, 130 children, are in school most days.

Most of the other students are in the two-day hybrid model.

“I’m very proud of everything we do here, and my amazing staff makes me smile every day,” Brown said. “We love the kids. We love being here … We’ve certainly increased our on-site students since the beginning of the school year.”

The district has a full-time online option for parents who are not quite comfortable sending their students to school. Special education students can also be in school four days a week.

School Director Rob Marra said student safety is the district’s top priority, and staying status quo until covid cases subside is the best move.

“I think it’s good to hold back from going to four days a week, which would mean the full enrollment of students,” Marra said. “You would be basically doubling the amount of people coming into the school.

“It’s easier to keep classrooms where you have students 6 feet apart. You can keep people distant in hallways. … We’re monitoring it very closely and have guidelines that came out from the state. We’re following those guidelines.”

There are less than 16 days of school left this calendar year due to Thanksgiving and Christmas break.

Both the covid case post and update on district student transition plans can be found on the front page of the district’s website, phsd.k12.pa.us.