Greater Latrobe to welcome secondary students back to full-time classroom instruction

Greater Latrobe School District will expand in-person instruction on Monday , opening classrooms five days per week to secondary students as well as to elementary students, who already have that option.

The school board approved the move 7-2 Tuesday after administrators cited declining covid-19 cases locally and the fact that a majority of faculty have received the first of two doses of the Moderna vaccine.

Board members Heidi Kozar and Cathy Sarraf objected, arguing that the district should wait at least until faculty have received the second dose and had a chance to develop increased immunity before returning.

The 433 Greater Latrobe staff and bus drivers who took advantage of a vaccine clinic are to receive their second doses on Feb. 20 or Feb. 27.

All students will participate in online instruction on Feb. 22 and March 1 to provide vaccine recipients “an additional 24 hours to recover from any adverse reaction,” according to Superintendent Georgia Teppert.

According to Assistant Superintendent Mike Porembka, at least 80% of the district’s teaching staff were among those who took advantage of the non-mandatory clinics.

Teppert also noted that Westmoreland County, while still at a “substantial” level of covid-19 transmission, has “continued to move closer to a moderate transmission rate” while “our hospitals currently are not overwhelmed with sick covid patients.”

Teppert said all students will continue to have the option of receiving full-time online instruction.

“I would hate to think that a rushed decision on our part to go full-time, in-person would put any of our staff in harm’s way,” Kozar said. “I would like to wait until we are two weeks out of ‘substantial’ or our staff are able to have the second round of vaccine.”

Kozar, among school board members who recently toured the district’s secondary buildings, said some classrooms don’t allow for the 6 feet of social distancing recommended between students. “Many of our classroom desks are only 3½ to 4 feet distant,” she said.

Sarraf, who also took the tour, said district staff were “doing everything in their power to keep students safe.” But, she said, “There just isn’t enough square footage.”

Sarraf, who became emotional, acknowledged that children appear less likely to experience serious illness from covid-19 than adults. But, she said, “Some (kids) get really sick, and some of them right here in our district have gotten really sick.”

She pointed out that students who are uncomfortable with the potential risk of covid-19 exposure can opt for full-time instruction at home, but she said district teachers don’t have the choice of staying at home unless they have a serious medical issue.

“Teachers should be considered, too,” Sarraf said.

Teppert agreed it’s a challenge to maintain 6 feet of separation in some classrooms, especially at the junior high. But, she said, teachers can move courses with a greater number of students to larger spaces, including group instruction rooms.

School board member Dr. Michael Zorch, a retired emergency room physician who chairs the district’s ad hoc health and safety committee, noted the district has installed new filtration equipment in its HVAC systems to help clean the air inside its schools.

“I think it’s time to get everybody back,” he said of the district’s move to a full-time classroom option for older students. “With one vaccination (dose), we should have some protection for our staff. We’ve done the best we can to ensure the safety of everyone in our school community.”

Zorch argued it’s a greater risk to keep students at home than to have them return to classrooms. Teppert cited mental health issues for students.

There are 138 district students who normally receive mental health treatment at school, according to Laurie Golobish, director of pupil services. But, she said, many older students may not be able to take advantage of virtual therapy while at home because of privacy or consent issues or because they are helping to care for younger siblings.

“It’s very important to have those kids back in the school setting so they can receive their consistent, regular therapy,” said Golobish.

According to data from the state Department of Health, Westmoreland County recorded nearly 47% fewer new cases of covid-19 in January than in December. For Jan. 1-15, the state reported 3,533 new cases in the county, while that number dropped by nearly half, to 1,837 cases, for Jan. 16-31.

County hospitalizations for covid-19 also dropped in January, going from 167 on Jan. 1 to 144 on Jan. 31.

While the county rate of covid-19 transmission remains at a “substantial” level, as defined by state officials, Teppert said levels within zip codes Greater Latrobe serves were at a “moderate” level over a seven-day period preceding Monday.

The Department of Health Covid-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard indicates that Westmoreland County recorded 125.5 covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents for Jan. 22-28. One hundred cases or more in a seven—day period places a county at a substantial transmission level.

Since Jan. 22, when full-time classroom attendance was once more offered for elementary students, those at Greater Latrobe’s junior high and senior high have had the option of a hybrid instructional model — with half of the students receiving online instruction at home on days when remaining students report to classrooms.

Assistant Superintendent Mike Porembka reported that 635 students, or about 18% of the district’s total 3,562 enrollment, are receiving full-time remote instruction.