Hempfield to continue with hybrid model of learning

Students in the Hempfield Area School District will continue to follow a hybrid model of learning as coronavirus cases continue to rise in the county.

During the school board’s first in-person meeting in months, members voted 8-1 to follow the current plan, which has elementary students attend in-person classes five days a week and middle and high school students alternate between online and in-person classes. Board member Diane Ciabattoni voted against the motion.

“I don’t think we should go backwards,” said board member Scott Learn. “I think we need to move forward, I think continue on the course we’re on right now and, as some others said, I think we need to look at opening up as soon as possible.”

The decision came after Superintendent Tammy Wolicki recommended the district follow guidance from the state departments of health and education, which state that schools should return to full remote learning if cases in the county reach the substantial level, which is determined by a 100-case benchmark of coronavirus transmission.

The county on Friday surpassed the second week at that level, which was previously in the moderate level in the three-tiered Early Warning Monitoring System. The substantial level means that local school officials are left to decide if they will follow the state recommendations or continue with their current plans.

Over the past two days, Westmoreland County has reported 125 new cases and three new deaths. Based on those numbers, some schools have revised plans, including officials with Yough, who decided to move to online classes, and Norwin, who postponed a full reopening until at least Nov. 18.

At Hempfield, between Oct. 13 and Oct. 26, 10 staffers tested positive for covid-19. Nine of those cases were reported over the past four days. Eighteen students between Oct. 13 and Oct. 26 tested positive for coronavirus, 11 in the high school, six in middle school and one in elementary school.

In addition to those cases, 33 staff members and 50 students are quarantined after being identified as close contacts.

The district has seen a number of new cases over the past months and shuttered the high school for most of the past two weeks to help curb the spread of the virus.

Despite the rise in cases, most board members showed their support for sticking with the current model, citing mental health concerns and the potential of slipping grades.

Board member Paul Ward said the decision to fully close should be based on factors within the community itself and “not just simply relying on the Department of Education’s recommendation to close.”

Ciabattoni, the lone vote against continuing with the current plan, said, “This is not a perfect situation. I prefer a hybrid and I prefer the elementary schools being open and, even if we would close, I think I would like to see the elementary schools, if possible, stay open. But realizing, basically who some of the experts are right here, and it’s basically our administration, I will agree to our superintendent’s recommendation.”

Other board members, including Mike Alfery and Jeanne Smith, said if parents feel unsafe sending their children to in-person classes, they can utilize the Hempfield Area Cyber Academy, which was expanded this spring to include elementary grades.

“I do not think that we are spreading this in our schools,” Smith said. “I think we are being so careful and we are doing the face masks — the kids are being wonderful with the face masks. Our cleaning methods are top notch and I don’t think that it’s spreading in the schools.”

Board President Tony Bompiani, who is in favor of returning to in-person classes, said he hopes board members will look ahead and consider creating a plan for when students could return to classes five days a week. Wolicki noted that administrators have discussed allowing middle school students to return full time, but those plans are not complete. High school students would follow, based on the number of available seats while maintaining 6 feet of social distancing.

Administrators will continue to monitor the number of coronavirus cases in schools and within the community.

“I don’t want to go backwards either, I want to go forward if at all possible,” Bompiani said. “I would like to encourage, no matter what vote is taken here tonight, I would like to encourage the staff to really come up with a plan as much as they possibly can to get us back to normal, to get students in secondary and high school back to five days.”