School districts using various teaching models
Schools will teach students in various instructional models when classes resume Monday due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in Butler County.
Many districts announced instructional changes Friday after the Butler Area School District notified parents Thursday that remote instruction will be provided to all its students beginning Monday.
The change in Butler Area will impact elementary school students. Secondary students in grades seven to 12 have been in remote instruction since Nov. 3. In addition to cases among students, more than 30 faculty and staff members either tested positive or are quarantining due to close contacts.
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The South Butler County School District is implementing hybrid instruction for students in Knoch High School and Knoch Middle School from Dec. 1 through Jan. 8. Elementary students will continue to report to school for in-person instruction.“The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Butler County continues to climb. Implementation of the hybrid approach will assist in proactively addressing transmission of the virus that may occur during Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's celebrations,” Superintendent David Foley, said in an update posted on the district website Friday.The hybrid schedule, with livestreamed lessons, has students with last names beginning with the letters A-L reporting to school Mondays and Tuesdays, and students with last names beginning the letters M-Z reporting to school Wednesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays, classroom instruction will be provided on the two-hour delay schedule for certain students.Throughout December, the district will evaluate both community and school district confirmed cases to decide the manner in which instruction will be delivered starting the week of Jan. 11, 2021.
In the Mars Area School District, the high school will remain closed at least until Dec. 1, but all other schools remain open. Throughout the school closure, all teachers will continue to offer live instruction and will be available to their students each period of the school day.The district reported Thursday that a middle school student had a confirmed case, but, on Friday, said the student hadn't been in the school since Nov. 5. Students and staff who had close contact with the student have been instructed to quarantine for at least 14 days. Quarantined students must switch to livestreamed interactive instruction and will receive notice of when they can return to school.
The Seneca Valley School District said all secondary students in grades seven to 12 will receive instruction through the cohort model through Dec. 7.Ryan Gloyer Middle School and Seneca Valley Intermediate High School began cohort learning Wednesday and the district announced Friday that the senior high school will also switch to the cohort model.In the cohort schedule for the middle school and intermediate and senior high schools, students in cohort A have in-person classes Mondays and Wednesdays, and remote classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Cohort B students have in-person classes Tuesdays and Thursdays, and remote classes Mondays and Wednesdays. Classes for all students are remote on Fridays.The district reported a total of 23 active COVID cases, 28 inactive cases and 482 people in quarantine as of Friday. Among students there are 22 active cases, 17 inactive cases and 464 in quarantine, the district said. The remainder of the cases are among staff. In an inactive case, the person completed isolation, is symptom free and is clear to return to classes or work.
In the Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District, the goal was to return to face-to-face instruction Monday, but due to Clarion County's change to the substantial transmission level designation, the district will continue using the distance-learning model until Dec. 4, according to a post on the district website from Superintendent David McDeavitt.The substantial transmission rate is 100 confirmed cases per 100,000 residents. Butler County reached the substantial level more than a week ago.A-C Valley teachers and staff will report to campus Monday morning to access supplies and teaching materials.District students will return to Clarion County Career Center for hands-on instruction when it reopens.All athletics and extra-curricular programs will remain in their current state of closure.In addition, the district expanded breakfast and lunch options. The district received a waiver to allow alternative meal service programs for students during the extended closure. Families may opt in to either home meal delivery service or curbside meal pickup.Families will need to sign up on the district website or Facebook page by Sunday so deliveries can begin Monday. Parents without Internet service should call the district at 724-659-5820, Ext. 2144.
The Karns City Area School District will provide instruction remotely for all grades beginning Monday through the Thanksgiving break, which runs from Nov. 25-30.Meals for all students will be available for pickup from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Meals are available at all three schools within the district, and can be picked up at any location, regardless of where the student goes to school. Meals will include both a breakfast and a lunch.At the high school, meals can be picked up from the concession stand window. At Chicora Elementary School, meals can be picked up at the gymnasium lobby, and at Sugarcreek Elementary School, meals can be picked up at the gym entrance.The district announced Friday that the decision was made due to the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the district and following consultations with the Butler Health System. Parents will be notified about a possible return date over the holiday break. Extracurricular activities will continue unless students are otherwise notified.
In the Freeport Area School District, both the high school and middle school will revert to remote instruction Monday to Thursday. The elementary schools will remain on their normal schedules.The district reported it had at least five new COVID cases last week: three came from the high school, one from the middle school and one from South Buffalo Elementary School.The district also announced a mitigation strategy for resuming classes after the Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year's breaks.After the Thanksgiving break, Buffalo and South Buffalo elementary schools will have full remote instruction from Dec. 1-3 and return to the normal face-to-face instruction schedule Dec. 7. The middle school and high school will have full remote instruction from Dec. 1-3, hybrid instruction with A and B schedules from Dec. 7-10 and normal face-to-face instruction schedule Dec. 14.After the Christmas/New Year's break, the elementary schools will have full remote instruction from Jan. 1-7 and return to face-to-face instruction Jan. 11. The middle and high schools will have full remote instruction from Jan. 4-7, hybrid instruction with A and B schedules from Jan. 11-14 and return to normal face-to-face instruction Jan. 19.
All schools in the Moniteau School District are returning to in-person instruction Monday.The entire district used remote instruction from Nov. 9-13.
In the Slippery Rock Area School District, face-to-face instruction is returning Monday for Slippery Rock Area Elementary School, the middle school and high school. Those schools had been using remote instruction.Moraine Elementary School will remain in remote learning until Dec. 1.
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced that Butler Catholic and St. Wendelin schools will begin remote learning Monday.No COVID cases have occurred in either school, but the number of increasing cases in the community triggered the change to remote instruction. Both schools hope to resume in-person instruction Dec. 1.
At Butler County Community College, all campuses are open with classroom occupancy and limits on indoor and outdoor gatherings.BC3 reported 26 cases among students and staff at all campuses on Friday. The report includes 11 students and one faculty or staff member at the main campus in Butler Township, two students at BC3@Brockway, three students at BC3@Cranberry, six students at BC3@Lawrence Crossing, one student and one faculty or staff member at BC3@LindenPointe, and one online/remote student.
Slippery Rock University is using distance, online and in-person teaching.The university reported 18 students with COVID cases from Nov. 6-12 and a total of 225 since the beginning of the school year. Among faculty and staff, 15 cases occurred from Nov. 6-12, and there have been 22 cases since the beginning of the year.Finals week runs from Nov. 21-25. Residence halls will remain open through Nov. 25.
