Pennsylvania Secretary of Education says on time graduation for high school seniors a priority

Ensuring that high school seniors graduate on time is among his top priorities as Pennsylvania grapples with the prospect of an extended school shutdown because of covid-19 fears, Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera said Wednesday, stressing that the school year cannot be extended beyond June 30.

“We’ve put a full team on (graduation) to look at state and federal laws to work on a pathway to allow those kids to graduate this year,” Rivera said. “We will do whatever we can to make sure those students are given the resources they need to graduate.”

Education officials are weighing options for students in traditional schools, as well as career tech programs, externships and co-ops.

Rivera said the department is working with intermediate units across the state to ensure education continues in K-12 schools that have been ordered closed until at least April 6.

On March 13, Gov. Tom Wolf closed schools for two weeks as fears of covid-19 swept the state. This week, he ordered an extension through April 6.

If that date holds, Rivera said teachers could return to school Saturday, April 7, with instruction beginning Monday, April 9.

On Wednesday, the Legislature waived the mandate that schools provide 180 days of instruction.

“By statute, we can’t extend school past June 30,” Rivera said. “That’s actually when schools fiscally close, then we go into the next year’s fiscal cycle.”

The state Education Department oversees more than 700 local education agencies, including public school districts, career and technical schools, charter schools and intermediate units.

It also oversees hundreds of private schools.

Some schools have taken it upon themselves to go beyond the governor’s closing edict.

Pittsburgh Public Schools officials announced Monday that staff and students will not return before Tuesday, April 14.

Rivera said the department is working with the 29 intermediate units that represent geographic areas across the state to establish “continuity of education” through online instruction, mobile devices or paper-and-pencil assignment packets throughout the virus shutdown.

Conceding that resources may vary dramatically from urban to rural and affluent to disadvantaged communities, Rivera said the department is offering a wide range of free resources ranging from instruction plans, online programs and platforms to enrichment activities parents can use.

He said the state is “strongly urging” districts to use whatever means are at their disposal to continue providing education now.

He said families and schools have reached out to communicate their needs to Harrisburg.

Officials quickly realized that feeding students and families was a top priority, Rivera said.

Vonda Ramp, head of child nutrition services, said schools and civic and nonprofit organizations have been stepping up to ensure that need is met for students who received free and reduced-price breakfasts and lunches at school.

In Western Pennsylvania, supplemental food programs began almost immediately when Wolf ordered schools closed.

Ramp said programs across the state vary. Some are bundling multiple days of meals and using a variety of delivery methods at 1,600 sites across the state, including school bus stops, door-to-door delivery, grab-and-go sites and drive-thru sites.

“A tremendous number of volunteers are making sure kids across the commonwealth have access to meals,” Ramp said.

Rivera said school closings could extend beyond the latest shutdown order, should Department of Health data indicate that is necessary.