Pine-Richland School District shifts to full-remote instruction until January
Students in the Pine-Richland School District will return to online learning until after the New Year’s Day holiday to help slow the spread of coronavirus cases, which are increasing countywide, district officials announced.
“We have prepared for this transition,” school officials said in a notice posted Thursday on the district website and sent to parents. “We have learned a lot from our experience at the end of last year and believe that we can deliver a different, more refined and effective educational program.”
District officials noted that Allegheny County is in the first week of substantial transmission of covid-19 and has an incidence rate of 138.7 per 100,000 people.
Allegheny County health officials said Nov. 19 was the second consecutive day in which more than 600 new cases of coronavirus were reported.
The 609 additional covid-19 cases reported brings the total case count to 22,043 since the pandemic reached the county in March. The county recorded a record 620 new cases Wednesday.
Allegheny has experienced a 38% increase in covid cases since the beginning of the month.
“The exponential increase of daily cases reported this week assures that we will remain at the substantial transmission level next week,” school officials said.
Since the start of the school year, there have been 31 positive covid cases in the district.
Two of the cases occurred in September and five in October.
The remaining 24 cases were reported this month. Of those, 13 are active.
District officials said the cases have occurred in all of its buildings and appear to be unconnected.
Superintendent Brian Miller said while it is the district’s goal for students to return to in-person instruction, the all-remote model could be extended.
“We want to be clear that this is the initial period of full virtual instruction,” he wrote. “Based on conditions, cases and additional guidance, it is possible that the period of full virtual instruction will be extended into the new year.”
Tony LaRussa is a TribLive reporter. A Pittsburgh native, he covers crime and courts in the Alle-Kiski Valley. He can be reached at tlarussa@triblive.com.
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