Norwin closes 5 schools because of coronavirus outbreak

Norwin will close its high school, middle school, intermediate school and Hahntown and Sunset Valley elementary schools because of an outbreak of coronavirus among students, the district said Wednesday afternoon.

Superintendent Jeff Taylor said the state Department of Health notified the district Wednesday about five new cases, in addition to the two cases of coronavirus discovered Oct. 1. The district’s infection rate of seven cases over the past 14 days exceeds the state’s recommended number within a 14-day period. About 4,410 of Norwin’s 5,330 students are educated in the five schools that are being closed.

The health department completed contact tracing and notifications regarding the cases in the high school, Hillcrest Intermediate School and Hahntown and Sunset Valley elementary schools. Since the most recent case is from the middle school, the contact tracing and notification process is still under way, Taylor said.

The five school buildings will be deep cleaned Friday and over the weekend.

Teachers from those schools will hold classes via Google Classroom.

Students who participate in athletics or activities should expect to receive information from their coach or adviser regarding how they will be impacted.

Since the beginning of the school year, Norwin has operated on a hybrid model — two days of in-class instruction for all students, split in two groups, based on the first letter of their last name. All students received remote instruction Wednesdays.

Taylor said he had intended to announce Wednesday that Norwin would offer five-day in-person instruction Nov. 4, but would emphasize any return date would be contingent on the continued low number of covid-19 cases in the schools. He said he hopes to reveal the in-person instruction plans Friday.

“Unfortunately, we believe it is best that we postpone sharing the details of our transition plan until we have a chance to re-evaluate it in light of today’s events,” Taylor said.

Norwin’s administration was criticized last month over the district’s hybrid plan that offered only two days a week in class and three days of remote instruction. Parents protested the administration plan before the schools reopened Aug. 31.

Norwin’s decision to close schools comes on the same day as Penn-Trafford announcing it will keep its Level Green Elementary closed until Oct. 15 because two more staff members at the school in Penn Township tested positive for the coronavirus. Sunrise Elementary will remain closed through Oct. 22, and the high school will have a hybrid form of teaching — both in class and remote.

The district said it was notified there were five more cases of covid-19 — a student at the high school and one at Harrison Park Elementary School. The other three cases were staff members at Level Green, McCullough and Sunrise elementary schools.