Hempfield schools hoping to reopen in fall, officials discussing classroom changes

The Hempfield Area School District is hoping to reopen schools to in-person learning this fall, but classrooms would look far different because of the coronavirus pandemic.

District officials discussed opening schools to small, in-person classes, activities and events that limits interactions with different teachers and students, based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the guidelines, small, in-person classes pose a slight risk. The lowest risk would be to continue online learning.

“With how rapidly things are changing, we realize plans we’re making today need to be very fluid, not knowing what the circumstances will be in the fall,” Superintendent Tammy Wolicki said during a meeting Wednesday. “Certainly it is our intent and hope to have children back in school, but certainly safety is of the utmost importance so we’re looking at how can we bring children back in a traditional fashion yet provide for all the safety measures that need to be accounted for.”

Specific plans will be decided in the coming months, although steps have been taken to install plexiglass in areas where staff members interact with the community, along with the purchase of daily cleaners and hand sanitizer.

According to Wolicki, there are ongoing discussions regarding health services, and how officials can quickly isolate a child who becomes ill with coronavirus-like symptoms.

Officials are also working to build an elementary cyber program, extending the existing cyber school to younger students rather than just those in grades six through 12. The expanded option will be available to students in the 2020-21 school year.

To help implement the changes, officials are setting up committees focused on food service, scheduling/instructional structure, transportation and athletics.

Specific plans determined by those committees will be based on CDC and state Department of Education recommendations along with government orders, Wolicki said.

“This whole thing from the onset, in my opinion, has been a moving target and I’m very hopeful it’s going to change severely between now and August. … Hopefully we put ourselves in a place that come the end of August we have many, many different options for whoever wants to send their kids to school,” said board member Mike Alfery.

Alfery and board member Vince DeAugustine are hoping to receive further input from parents on how to proceed in the upcoming year.

“I feel very confident sitting here we’re going to be in the very best position we can be, which won’t be ideal but we’re going to do the best we can,” board member Paul Ward said.