Westmoreland County schools planning for worst-case coronavirus scenario

As coronavirus cases continue to grow in eastern Pennsylvania and other areas of the country, school officials across Westmoreland County are preparing plans for how to educate students in a worst-case scenario.

Principals in Greater Latrobe School District planned to meet Friday with their staffs to discuss plans for responding to the coronavirus threat, Superintendent Georgia Teppert said. That includes plans for how the senior high, junior high and three elementary schools would use digital instruction for students at homes if schools close.

“Administratively, we have been meeting to discuss a worst-case scenario and a plan of action if we would be impacted in our community,” Teppert told school board members this week. She noted that digital access to instruction will “look different for every teacher.”

The governor of Ohio on Thursday announced a three-week spring break for K-12 schools across the state as a precaution. Schools will not reopen until at least April 3, cleveland.com reported.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced that starting Friday, all schools, community centers, gyms and entertainment venues in Montgomery County will be closed for two weeks. Several districts in Allegheny County — including Pittsburgh Public, Wilkinsburg and Woodlands Hills — closed specific schools because of some students possibly having been exposed to the coronavirus.

Officials in the Franklin Regional School District said they are awaiting instruction from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

“At this point, the commonwealth has not approved plans or waivers to provide remote instruction should we have to close our doors,” said Cara Zanella, the district’s spokeswoman. “However, should these waivers become available, we have a plan to utilize technology and various other resources to support ongoing education for our students. Our administrative team is currently designing a mobilization plan to ensure that all students and staff have the various resources that they may need for a remote educational experience.”

Greensburg Salem Superintendent Gary Peiffer said the district has no immediate plans to cancel classes or events, but they are preparing for that eventuality as they await further guidance from the state.

“Things are happening in such quick succession, we’re really trying to do the best we can to be prepared for different contingencies,” he said.

With how quickly the situation is evolving, Peiffer said he’d like the state to reach out to school districts with more specific information and clear directives.

“It’s just a very dicey area, and that’s why I’d like to have more guidance,” he said.

Norwin School District has been monitoring coronavirus developments and updating plans as necessary, said spokesman Jonathan Szish.

The district has placed information about the coronavirus on its website and “additional communications should be going out in the next couple of days,” Szish said.

Jeannette City School District started planning this week for a potential shutdown after discussing options with faculty, staff and school board members while taking direction from state and county officials, said Superintendent Matthew Jones.

Teachers are preparing lessons for fourth- through 12th-graders that would be distributed through a Google platform and accessible on devices provided by the district, he said. In the event of a closure, younger students will get packets of work to complete at home.

“We certainly do not want to be alarmists regarding coronavirus and the impact it may have on our school and community,” Jones said. “We must stress that at this time there is no reason to believe there is any concern in Jeannette City School District, but we are exercising all caution in the preparatory phase.”

Jones said officials are considering ways to get bagged lunches to students in the event of an extended shutdown and how to proceed with upcoming field trips and events, if a change is needed.

Contingency plans are in the works at Mt. Pleasant Area School District as officials keep an eye daily on communication with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health, according to Superintendent Timothy Gabauer. They are examining the possibility of online learning, printed daily assignments or possibly a combination if a closure is necessary, he said.

An assessment of student technology needs from kindergarten through sixth grade was expected to be completed by Thursday, with the outcome impacting the district’s decision, he said. Students in seventh- through 12th-grades already have Chromebooks, he said.

The district sent a letter home to parents last week detailing precautions, including cleaning procedures at buildings and information about prevention.

In a letter posted on the Greater Latrobe website, Teppert said families will be alerted to any school closure through the same mass notification system used for weather-related delays and cancellations. The first two days of a closure would be used for teacher planning, she said. On the third day, teachers would begin emailing instructions to students for at-home academic assignments.

She asked that families call the district technology office if they lack an active email account or a device or internet service that students can use to complete work at home.

“It’s about balance,” she said. “You don’t want to minimize anything, you don’t want to blow it out of proportion, but you want to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.”