Greater Latrobe reports new coronavirus cases, continues full-time classroom instruction

Greater Latrobe School District buildings are remaining open for full-time, in-person instruction despite new positive coronavirus cases reported at the senior high and at Latrobe Elementary School.

Nine students have tested positive for the coronavirus since the school year began on Aug. 30, Superintendent Georgia Teppert told the school board Tuesday evening. That includes three students at the senior high who district officials learned about late Monday and Tuesday afternoon, and one student at Latrobe Elementary School reported to the district on Monday afternoon.

According to Teppert, those cases fall well under 5% of the student and staff population at each school — one of the state benchmarks for deciding during a 14-day period whether to close a school to help control coronavirus case numbers.

Among students alone, Teppert noted the nine cases represent about 0.3% of the total enrollment of 3,587. There are 1,235 students at the senior high and 662 at Latrobe Elementary.

“We don’t have a magic number of how many (positive) cases until we close a school,” Teppert said. “Each case is looked at individually.

“We also know we need to use good judgment and common sense and look out for the health and safety of our entire school community.

“If there would be a substantial number of cases within a group of students or a building, and we do contact tracing where possibly numerous employees or students may have been exposed, then by all means we would consider closing.”

Other positive cases among Greater Latrobe students included one at Mountain View Elementary, between Sept. 27 and Oct. 1, and three at Latrobe Elementary and one at the senior high, between Sept. 13 and Sept. 26. Two district staff tested positive in August, before students had returned to school.

While there have been recent coronavirus-related school closures at several neighboring districts, including Derry Area, Hempfield Area and Greensburg Salem, Teppert said, “Each district is unique and each case is unique. Every school district does what they feel is best for their school community.”

Teppert said district officials have initiated contract tracing by checking with parents, students and teachers and followed through with quarantining deemed necessary. Reports are made to the state Department of Health, for confirmation of the district’s coronavirus procedures, she said.

Online learning an option

All district parents have the option of full-time online learning at home for their children. Assistant Superintendent Mike Porembka reported that 388 students were receiving online lessons with the remaining 3,199 attending classes in person.

At Tuesday’s school board meeting, the district accepted grants of more than $174,000 from the Greater Latrobe Partners in Education Foundation, including $100,000 to buy Chromebooks needed for online instruction.

Additional grants included: $28,000 in donor-sponsored scholarships for 23 graduating seniors; $23,344 to support special education needs; $4,500 for back-to-school supplies and recess equipment for elementary students; and $4,310 in proceeds from a River City Brass concert, to help with music department costs.

President Jessica Urbanik noted the foundation has donated more than $6 million to the district since its inception nine years ago.