State could recommend closure of Westmoreland County schools over coronavirus surge

Pennsylvania Department of Education officials soon could begin urging Westmore­land County schools to close and move to fully remote learning if the present corona­virus surge continues.

The county has the seventh-highest coronavirus incidence rate in the state, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. This week, it moved from “moderate” to “substantial” on the state’s Early Warning Monitoring System, a three-tiered measure of coronavirus transmission.

The incidence rate measures the rate of new cases in a population. Westmoreland’s was 140.9 as of Thursday, the end of the last seven-day period measured by the state. That means about 0.14% of county residents contracted the virus during that period.

The state considers any county with an incidence rate higher than 100 as being at a substantial level of virus transmission. The Department of Education recommends that any county in that category conduct remote learning only as opposed to in-person or hybrid education, though the decision remains local and there is a waiting period.

If a county crosses the threshold, school officials should wait to see whether the following week’s numbers remain high before making a decision, according to the department.

Westmoreland County’s incidence rate was 90.7 for the seven-day period ending Oct. 8. Last week marked the first time the county has gone over a rate of 100 since the start of the school year.

The next seven-day period will end Thursday. Average daily cases have dropped some this period, but the county remains on track to have an incidence rate over 100 unless there is a drastic drop in newly reported cases in the next two days.

Allegheny County’s transmission rate is 45.5, putting it in the “moderate” category.

“After a county moves into ‘substantial,’ representatives from the Department of Health and Department of Education meet virtually with the superintendents from that county to explain what substantial means and to address any questions,” Department of Education spokeswoman Nicole Reigelman said via email.

Several Westmoreland County school districts have struggled to deal with corona­virus outbreaks and to follow Department of Education guidelines.

Penn-Trafford has had 22 cases across four schools. Though it temporarily closed some schools this month, the district this week decided to keep the high school open despite two new cases. The Department of Health recommends schools temporarily close when they have two or more cases.

Norwin has had 24 cases — including 10 active cases, a spokesman said — but its schools are open under a hybrid model. District officials still plan to fully reinstate in-person education beginning Nov. 4.

Even under moderate community spread in a county, the Department of Health recommends a hybrid model or online learning.

Hempfield Area School District has had 19 cases among students and four among staffers since Oct. 12. That includes 12 students at the high school, which prompted district officials on Tuesday to close that building through Friday.

One hundred forty-two students and 16 employees were quarantining after being identified as close contacts related to school cases, Hempfield Area Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said.

“The 142 for the students being quarantined, and especially those 16 staff members, are placing a huge burden on our system,” Wolicki told the school board this week. “We have elementary principals … that are teaching classrooms. We just do not have the substitutes, we do not have the coverage.”

Kiski Area school officials continue to prepare to offer four days of in-person instruction, possibly beginning Nov. 2. A return to remote learning is possible, if needed, Superintendent Tim Scott said this week during a virtual school board meeting.

Although it is in Westmoreland County, geographic data show Kiski Area has an incidence rate of 48.71 cases per 100,000 residents, which puts it in the moderate category for transmission, Scott said.

Two staff members at Kiski Area High School tested positive for covid-19, district officials reported Monday. Last week, two infections were reported at Kiski Area Upper Elementary School and one at North Primary. No schools have been closed.

It can be frustrating to set a course for the district when figures are changing daily and guidance is unspecific, Scott said.

“We keep going back and forth, being told things are local decisions, but there are these mandates that are dressed up as recommendations,” he said.

Joe Napsha, Teghan Simonton and Megan Tomasic contributed to this report.