Deer Lakes switches to fully remote learning as covid-19 cases rise

Deer Lakes has moved to fully online learning in response to rising covid-19 cases in Allegheny County and a shortage of teachers.

Students will learn remotely until at least Monday, Dec. 7, according to district spokeswoman Coby Detar.

Deer Lakes includes the Allegheny County communities of East Deer, West Deer and Frazer. The district last week made the decision to switch to hybrid learning because Allegheny County fell within the “substantial” range for covid-19 cases. It remains in that range this week.

Pennsylvania’s health and education departments are recommending schools in counties with a “substantial” risk of covid-19 transmission pivot from in-person learning to hybrid or remote learning. Counties deemed to have a “substantial” risk have an average covid incidence rate of more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents or a test positivity rate of greater than 10%. Allegheny County’s incidence rate is 211.9 cases per 100,000 residents and it has a test positivity rate of 9%, according to the state Department of Health.

Both figures are up from last week, when Allegheny County’s incidence rate was 138.7 cases per 100,000 residents and its test positivity rate was 7.7%, the state Department of Health reported.

Students will be on Thanksgiving break from Thursday through Monday.

Superintendent Janell Logue-Belden had suggested at a meeting last week that the district reinstate hybrid learning from Nov. 18 through Wednesday and then, after the holiday break, go to fully remote learning from Tuesday, Dec. 1 to Monday, Dec. 7. After that, the district could reevaluate coronavirus data and decide whether to modify or stay with the fully remote model.

Also at the meeting, school directors voted to give Logue-Belden the authority to modify the district’s learning model based on current coronavirus-related recommendations and data for the remainder of the school year.

Previously, those decisions were up to the school board.