Students, staff at Greensburg Salem Middle School move to remote learning

Greensburg Salem middle schoolers are moving to remote learning for almost two weeks following a spike in covid-19 cases, district officials said.

According to Kenneth Bissell, acting superintendent, the spike caused the 14 day total of positive cases to rise to about 5% of the total student and faculty body.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health deemed the spike an outbreak and recommended a 14-day closure of the building, he said.

“Although most of the cases were traced back to out-of-school activities and gatherings, our quarantined numbers also increased,” Bissell said.

In response to the spike, students and staff began remote learning Tuesday. In-person classes will resume Nov. 22.

According to a post on the school’s website, students will follow their daily schedule by logging into Microsoft Teams and learning in real-time with their teachers.

The middle school is the only building moving to remote learning. All other schools will operate as normal.

“We have been communicating with teachers and students all year to be prepared for remote learning if something occurs to cause us to shift in that direction,” he said. “Unfortunately, we had to make that decision. Our goal will continue to be face-to-face learning for all children while doing what we can to keep all students, staff, and the community safe.”