South Fayette School District officials approve reopening plan

South Fayette School District officials have approved their 2020-21 school year reopening plan with both in-person and online learning for students during the pandemic.

School directors unanimously voted on the plan on July 28.

Board President Leonard Fornella said plans will be revised as necessary.

Superintendent Ken Lockette said staffers will follow Allegheny County Health Department guidelines when it comes to covid-19 prevention and reporting should there be a case in the district.

He noted everyone should be vigilant and have patience as they navigate through these difficult times.

“The challenge is there’s no playbook for any of this,” Lockette said.

School Director Lena Hannah commended the administration and all involved in the planning process.

The plan is posted, along with answers to frequently asked questions, on the district’s website, southfayette.org.

The board had previously approved moving the start date for the upcoming year from Aug. 19 to Wednesday, Sept. 2 and the last day from June 4, 2021, to June 11.

Students and staff returning to buildings must wear face coverings and practice social distancing as much as possible. Students must also wear masks when on the bus. Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the schools.

Bus drivers will wear masks and have some available for riders who don’t have one.

The district is also expected to provide face shields for students at start of the school year.

District officials held multiple meetings the past several weeks to discuss the plans and get feedback from families.

Changes included adding honors and Advanced Placement courses to the online learning program.

The district also reduced its commitment to either in-person or continued online learning from a semester to nine weeks. That means parents who declined to send their students back to class at the start of the school year, but later feel more comfortable doing so will not have to wait as long.

Jeffrey Evancho, assistant to the superintendent for secondary education, said additional school psychologists and counselors will be available to support student needs.

Online learners will have the opportunity for live instruction as well as assignments to complete at their own pace. Schedules will be the same as if everyone was in a classroom.

Lessons will also “capitalize on the home environment” and be designed to “reduce screen time and include physical activity when possible,” according to the presentation.

Administrators presented a hybrid model on July 28 to show what would happen if the county was in the yellow phase of the state’s three-tiered reopening plan.

The hybrid model splits students into two groups with each group going to class at least two days a week and online learning at least two days a week with alternating in-person class schedules Wednesdays.

“Our goal is and always has been to have students with our teachers in face-to-face experiences,” Evancho said. “We completely value that.”

The district’s cyber academy would be offered throughout all three phases.

The county is currently in the green phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan due to the pandemic.

Students or staff exposed to confirmed covid-19 case are asked to quarantine for 14 days. They cannot come back sooner, and they must receive clearance from their health care provider.