Plum High School closed until Dec. 1 as 3 more students test positive for covid-19

Plum High School will be closed and students will learn online until the start of December after three more students tested positive for covid-19.

All sports and activities at the school are also canceled through Tuesday, Dec. 1, according to a letter to district families Wednesday.

The district spoke with Allegheny County Health Department officials about the new cases, and made the call to shutdown the school to be extra cautions, school board President Mike Devine said Wednesday night.

The district letter said two of the three students recently attended a parent-sponsored event.

That event was a Class of 2021 Senior Parent Committee’s Homecoming Dance on Saturday at Five Pines Barn where at least one high school student was reported to have attended while infected with the virus.

All students who attended the dance were previously asked to quarantine for 14 days and not return to school until next month.

“The district was able to ascertain a complete list of students who attended this event and immediately initiated the contact tracing protocol,” Wednesday’s letter read. “Student-athletes will receive a communication from their coaches within 24 hours with further instructions. The closure will allow for thorough contact tracing, deep cleaning of our facilities, and time to evaluate the best course for moving forward.”

It did not specify how many people would be contacted as part of the tracing efforts.

However, a letter sent by the district on Monday said school nurses were contacting more than 150 families of students who attended the event, as well as those students who attend other schools, including some in Ohio.

Free breakfast, lunch continue

The district’s food services department will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch during the closure.

Meals will need to be pre-ordered and picked up at 10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday at either the high school or Holiday Park Elementary.

Parents should check their students for any covid-19 symptoms and contact their health care provider and school nurse should any be discovered.

The high school closure comes less than 24 hours after school board members voted to keep the district in the hybrid education model.

Students are split into groups with each group attending in-person classes a couple days a week and online learning during the off days.