Students in Butler County's Catholic elementary schools just had their summer vacations extended Thursday courtesy of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.

The diocese's schools office announced late Thursday afternoon it has moved the official start of classes for elementary schools to Sept. 8.

The move is in response to teachers' requests for more time to implement all COVID-19 health and safety reopening protocols.

Affected by the diocese's decision will be:

Butler Catholic School, 515 E. Locust St., whose 231 students in kindergarten through eighth grade as well as 40 preschool students had been slated to begin the school year Aug. 24

Holy Sepulcher Catholic School, 6515 Old Route 8 North in Middlesex Township, whose 150 students were to start the first day of class Aug. 26

St. Kilian's Parish School, 7076 Franklin Road, Cranberry Township, which was expected to open its doors to its 652 pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students Aug. 24.

North Catholic High School, 1617 Route 228, Cranberry Township, will be unaffected by the diocese's decision, although diocese spokeswoman Ellen Mady said student attendance dates are being tweaked.

Mady said freshmen and sophomores will have their first day of class Aug. 20, and juniors and seniors will have their first day of class Aug. 21. The entire student body will attend classes beginning on the previously announced start of the school year on Aug. 24.

“This gives the students a trial run with the pandemic routines in place and with the COVID-19 circumstances,” Mady said.

The start of elementary school was delayed to give more time for pandemic protocols to be tested.

Teachers wanted more time to prepare their classrooms, practice the new protocols, test systems for distance learning and have in-service days for health and safety training to incorporate into their new daily routines.

“We've had weekly communication with our principals, teachers and regional boards throughout the summer preparing for a very different school year,” said Michelle Peduto, director of Catholic Schools. “The reality is, we have been planning for something that nobody has all the answers for at the moment.

“We are aware that this is a time for us to be patient, open-minded and flexible to adapt to the needs of our teachers and school families. Reopening safely is truly a team effort,” said Peduto.

Each school has shared its reopening plans with families with the understanding that more changes could come.

The diocese has been monitoring guidelines and directives involving school athletics as well. Based on Gov. Tom Wolf's recommendation Aug. 6, Catholic schools and parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh will limit sports participation to practicing/conditioning in sports-specific cohorts with no travel or competition with outside teams.

Sports programs are to be in full compliance with local, state and federal guidelines in an effort to avoid the outright cancellation of sports.