Students in the North Allegheny School District are scheduled to return to in-person instruction five days a week on Monday Aug. 23 with some covid-19 safety measures in place – but no requirement for staff and students to wear masks.

The return to school and the health and safety plans unveiled in late July contains contingency plans to switch to a hybrid form of instruction or full remote learning if the pandemic worsens.

“As of June 28, 2021, the Commonwealth no longer has a face covering mandate,” district officials wrote in the plan. “NASD will not require face coverings on school campuses. North Allegheny parents/guardians can decide if they want to send their student to school with a face covering.”

District officials said they will comply with the federal requirement for masks on public transportation, which includes school buses.

If a face-covering mandate is issued by local, state or federal governments, the district will switch back to requiring them inside buildings.

The administration also plans to independently monitor the spread of covid-19 in the school community to decide whether a mask requirement should be reinstated.

“The district may decide to require masking for reasons such as, but not limited to, community spread of the illness in classrooms, individual school buildings and across the district,” they wrote, adding that community transmission levels in Allegheny County also will be monitored.

The state also lifted the mask requirement and 6-foot distancing during lunches. NA students still will be seated at least 3-feet apart.

Students and staff members also will be asked to socially distance as much as possible when in hallways and stairways and students will be provided with locations at each school to store athletic and instrumental gear.

Staff also will be asked not to gather in communal spaces such as copier rooms and teacher lounges during breaks or planning sessions.

If the district is required to reduce the density in its buildings because of covid-19 spread, it plans to switch to a hybrid instructional model.

During hybrid, half the students attend on Mondays and Tuesday and the other half goes on Thursdays and Fridays. All students attend remotely on Wednesdays during hybrid learning.

Full remote instruction could kick in if health officials determine that the community is at a “heightened risk” for contracting the virus.

District officials noted that remote instruction differs from the NA Cyber Academy because it is an extension of in-person classes that is taught by a student’s classroom teacher and mimics the school day whenever possible.

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