Level Green, Sunrise elementaries closed as Penn-Trafford coronavirus cases grow

Level Green and Sunrise elementary schools in the Penn-Trafford School District are closed as the number of district students and staff who have tested positive for the coronavirus increased on Wednesday.

Superintendent Matt Harris notified parents and staff on Wednesday that five additional coronavirus cases had been reported at Penn-Trafford.

Two of the cases were students, one at the high school and one at Harrison Park Elementary. The other three cases were staff members at Level Green, McCullough and Sunrise Elementary elementary schools.

At Level Green, the number of staff members testing positive increased from six to seven since Tuesday, Harris said. No student cases were reported at that school, which will remain closed through Oct. 14.

The Sunrise school has experienced two positive cases within 14 days, requiring it to close because of multiple buildings in the district with two or more cases, he said. Sunrise will be closed from Thursday through Oct. 21.

All students at both closed schools will receive remote instruction.

Harris said all other district schools will remain open, in accordance with state Department of Health and Department of Education guidelines. 

Harris didn’t say whether the ill employees are teachers or other staff to protect the identities of those affected, said Colleen Kelly, district spokeswoman.

“The itinerant (shared) staff that work at Sunrise and Level Green will not be permitted to work in other district buildings so that we can monitor them for symptoms,” Harris said.

Level Green, located in Penn Township, has about 250 students, about 30 teachers and additional support staff, such as janitors and custodians, Kelly said.

Because of previous virus cases, the school has been closed since Oct. 1, Kelly said.

The school district is sanitizing the building and will follow state Health Department guidelines for reopening, the district said.

Unless an individual has been contacted by the Health Department or the school nurse, “we can reasonably assure you that you have not been identified as a “close contact” of a positive case and you do not need to quarantine,” Harris said.

Harris said it remains important for students and staff to administer the district’s symptom screening tool each day and anyone with coronavirus symptoms, or who may have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus, should contact the school nurse immediately.