Fox Chapel Area weighing increased in-person instruction for high school, Dorseyville Middle School

Fox Chapel Area School District officials said a decision to increase in-person class time for middle and high school students could come in early February.

Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac said there’s been no alternate guidance from the state regarding older students, despite last week’s recommendation by health and education experts to return elementary students to classrooms.

District elementary students returned to class full-time in November.

“It is still a local decision,” Reljac said of instructional models for older students. “Many schools in our region are hosting full-time, in-person classes for middle school and high school and many are doing hybrid.”

School board member Amy Cooper asked during the Jan. 11 board meeting when the decision might be made for Dorseyville Middle School and the high school, both of which are currently operating in the hybrid model.

Reljac said administration is monitoring local covid-19 case counts as a result of the holidays and will look closely at what happens this month when students aren’t able to use outdoor space as much as in milder weather.

As of Jan. 12, there were three confirmed cases of covid-19 at the high school in the previous 14 days, and two at Fairview Elementary. Case counts are based on students and staff who are physically inside the buildings.

There were also five confirmed cases, three at Dorseyville Middle School and two at O’Hara Elementary, in students/staff who were not on campus.

Reljac said the district is prepared to welcome older students back for more in-person classtime, if that decision is made.

“We are prepared to do that as quickly as possible,” she said. “We had that as a goal for December and our community reality changed.

“If it looks like our opportunities are there, we can present it to the board for a decision.”

Board member Adam Goode asked if there has been any mitigation guidance for the new coronavirus variant but Reljac said the district has been advised to follow the strategies in place because they have been effective.