North Allegheny School Board votes to return to full-time, in-person learning

North Allegheny elementary and middle school students will return to full-time in-person instruction in November, two months after starting the year in a hybrid instructional mode to stem the spread of covid-19.

Elementary students in kindergarten through fifth grade will be back in class beginning Nov. 4; middle schoolers are scheduled to return Nov. 16.

High school students will remain in a hybrid learning model while the district explores ways to bring those students back to school full-time.

The school board voted Monday night to change the learning plans, with acting superintendent Patrick O’Toole saying that 2020 marked an unprecedented start to the school year.

“The district saw almost 30% of its student body enroll in remote learning through NA Cyber Academy (NACA),” O’Toole said. “Students who selected in-person instruction began the year under the hybrid phase, giving the district the ability to open our buildings at a reduced capacity, and slowly allowed students and staff to adjust to new health and safety procedures.”

The board also voted to end the first quarter for grades six-12 on Nov. 11, one day after originally scheduled. The second quarter will begin Nov. 16.

O’Toole said the combination of hybrid in-person and remote learning through NACA was the district’s best option to deliver instruction under the coronavirus guidelines.

The district in July said it had a comprehensive plan to support the return of all students, but the final decision on how to proceed would be driven by guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state’s health and education departments and the Allegheny County Health Department.

“The circumstances related to covid-19 evolve rapidly, and we will update our plans frequently based on guidance from local, commonwealth and national guidelines,” district officials said at that time.

While the entire district began as a mix of hybrid and online learning, it has been the district’s ultimate goal since March to bring all students and staff back to the buildings for in-person instruction, O’Toole said.

The district returned to school on Sept. 8 and O’Toole said students and staff have done a good job of being “respectful and responsible.”

Students are required to follow enhanced hygiene protocols that include wearing masks at all times, except when eating or drinking, and practicing social distancing.

The district has also implemented contact tracing to monitor and analyze the local spread of the disease.

North Allegheny Cyber Academy will continue to be an option for families who want an entirely remote learning experience.

Families will have the chance to re-enroll students in NACA or in-person instruction beginning today and running through Sunday.

“We realize each of our students, their families and our staff members are facing different challenges and obstacles as the circumstances related to covid-19 evolve rapidly,” O’Toole said.

“We will continue to update our plans frequently based on recommendations from local, commonwealth and national guidelines and communicate them to you as quickly as possible.”