Norwin tracks 7 more cases of coronavirus; school board majority supports full reopening

On a day when the Norwin announced seven more cases of coronavirus cases among students and staff, a majority of the Norwin School Board supported plans for students to return to class five days a week next month, rather than the current hybrid plan.

Three high school students, two Hillcrest Elementary students, one middle school student and an employee at the administration building all tested positive for coronavirus, Norwin announced Monday afternoon. None of these students or the staff member will return to school or work until they complete isolation procedures for covid-19, the district said.

While five of seven schools were closed for three instruction days recently because of covid-19 cases, no schools are being closed this week because in all cases, the virus was transmitted outside of school,the district said. All schools and the administration building were sanitized on Friday and the administration building was closed for a half day on Friday for cleaning, as was requested by the state Department of Health.

Contact tracing is only necessary for one sports team, which the district did not identify.

The administration employee, who was not identified, does not have direct contact with students and does not work in any of the schools, the district said.

After Norwin’s plans to reopen schools on Nov. 4 to full in-class instruction came under criticism last week, a majority of the school board members Monday said they supported the decision by Superintendent Jeff Taylor and the administration to return to full-time in-school teaching on Nov. 4. But members expressed concerns about the safety of students and staff at this time — about 20 students and staff have reported being infected with the virus — and whether the reopening should be delayed.

Brian Carlton, board president and a Penn-Trafford teacher, said he believes that providing instruction in the classroom is the best method of learning for students, but he would support 100% virtual instruction if necessary. Carlton said he believes schools will be closed for some periods during the next three or four months because of the virus.

“We need to be all in or all out,” Carlton said, noting that contract tracing has determined those Norwin students and staff contracted the virus outside the school.

Since the beginning of school on Aug. 31, Norwin has offered students the option of full online instruction or a hybrid model where students are in class two days a week and receiving online teaching the remaining three days.

Director Bill Essay, a retired Franklin Regional teacher, said he supports full-time in-class instruction, “but it may be premature at this time.”

Director Patrick Lynn, a Woodland Hills teacher, said he could not support a full reopening to full in-class instruction.

Lynn said he believed the hybrid educational model is working and to reopen, only to be forced to close schools when an outbreak occurs, “would be a complete disruption.”

“Safety is first and foremost,” Lynn said.

With cases on the rise in Westmoreland County and North Huntingdon-Irwin, Director Donald Rhodes said he believed “it’s premature to go back to face-to-face five days (a week).”

Director Robert Wayman, a retired Norwin teacher, said he was in favor of giving full-time in-class instruction “a chance,” noting the hybrid model has had some success but some challenges.

Kevin Chitester, a Norwin teacher and president of the Norwin Education Association, said students and teachers are concerned about the safety with full-time instruction.

Social distancing in the hybrid model can be practiced with one-half of the students in the classroom, but can’t be done with a full classroom, Chitester said.

Patrick McLaughlin, a parent and Norwin teacher, said his students are worried about their own safety and the safety of their families with everyone returning to school. He said his students have adjusted to the hybrid model of instruction.