Allegheny, Westmoreland school districts reveal plans for upcoming classes

In March, school districts across the state were ordered closed by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to help curb the spread of coronavirus. Now, they are now developing new health and safety protocols in an effort to restart instruction in the coming weeks.

Some will begin with online instruction, some will hold classes in the buildings and others will employ a blended schedule.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced an order requiring universal face coverings for students and staff except for when students are:

• Eating or drinking when spaced at least 6 feet apart; or
• When wearing a face covering creates an unsafe condition in which to operate equipment or execute a task; or
• At least 6 feet apart during “face-covering breaks” to last no longer than 10 minutes.

Here are the plans for schools in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties:

Allegheny Valley

Start Date: Aug. 24

Type of instruction: The district started the school year with virtual learning only.

Health requirements: Staff and students will screen themselves before reporting to school.

Cafeteria service: Students will eat meals in several locations. District workers will clean between groups using the same space. All prepared cafeteria food will be pre-packaged or covered.

Additional details: More information atavsdweb.org

Apollo-Ridge

Start date: Aug. 25

Type of instruction: Blended model, with students going to school either on Mondays and Tuesdays or Thursdays and Fridays. Families can choose an entirely online option.

Health requirements: Parents must perform a symptom screening before their child leaves for school or a bus stop each day.

Cafeteria service: More boxed or grab-and-go lunches will be served. Cafeteria seating may be assigned and will be staggered to encourage social distancing. Students may also eat outside of the cafeteria.

Additional details: District plans to provide a laptop to each student for remote learning. Some in-person classes may be moved to larger spaces, like gyms and auditoriums, to allow for social distancing. More information at apolloridge.com

Armstrong

Start Date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Full in-person learning, with the option of distance learning for families with health concerns.

Health requirements: Students are encouraged to bring their own technology and supplies to reduce sharing. When possible, the district asks parents and older students to drive to eliminate crowding on buses. Parents should check their child’s temperature before sending them to school. Students and staff will be screened upon arrival daily.

Cafeteria service: Breakfast will be served in classrooms in elementary schools and in cafeterias in secondary schools. The lunch plan at all schools involves staggering students at spaced tables and using gyms for additional seating when possible.

Additional details: More information at asd.k12.pa.us

Avonworth

Start Date: Sept. 1 for grades 1-12, Sept. 2 for kindergarten.

Health requirements: Daily health assessments will be conducted by families and staff.

Cafeteria service: Seating will be limited to 50% capacity maximum. Grab-and-go lunches will be used in the case of half-day and hybrid instruction.

Additional details: More information at avonworth.k12.pa.us

 

Baldwin-Whitehall

Start date: Sept. 3

Type of instruction: Hybrid model with students broken into two groups and in schools two days a week or a fullyremote model with virtual learning. Some students may be able to attend the hybrid model all four days a week.

Health requirements: Regular sanitizing, disinfecting and cleaning. Sharing of materials, books and devices must be avoided. Drinking fountains will be closed. Students and staff must complete an electronic health screening questionnaire, including temperature check, to assess for symptoms of or exposure to covid-19 prior to coming to school.

Cafeteria service: Seating will be modified to help with social distancing.

Additional details: School board will vote on plans Aug. 12. Faculty will continue to deliver lessons via the Canvas Learning Management System utilizing live and recorded instruction as well as planned activities. Seniors using remote learning will earn their district diploma. More information at bwschools.net

Belle Vernon Area

Start date: Aug. 31

Health requirements: Students will not be permitted to sit in the front row of the bus, which will also have reduced numbers of riders. District must also be prepared for contact tracing and be prepated to shift to remote learning if mandated by the state.

Cafeteria service: Staggered seating to maintain social distancing. Take-out-style meals will be served with disposable utensils.

Additional details: District plans to perform enhanced cleaning of all high-touch areas on weekdays and disinfect vents, hallways, walls, railings and locker doors on Wednesdays. Class sizes will be smaller to maintain social distancing. More information at bellevernonarea.net

Bethel Park

Start date: Aug. 26

Additional details: More information at bpsd.org

Brentwood

Start Date: Aug. 24

Brentwood administrators did not return multiple phone calls or emails about its plans.

Additional details: More information at bb-sd.com

Burrell

Start date: Sept. 1

Health requirements: Parents must screen children in the morning for a fever, cough and other covid-19 symptoms.

Cafeteria service: Food will be served by staff from menus that students can order from weekly. Seating will be arranged for social distancing.

Additional details: More information at burrell.k12.pa.us

Carlynton

Start date: Aug. 24

Type of instruction: Remote instruction for at lesat first four weeks. District will either remain remote, move to a hybrid approach or return to the traditional model. Regardless of the model, remote learning will be an option for all students.

Health requirements: Students will have their temperatures taken upon arrival and possibly throughout the day. Students who are diagnosed with the seasonal flu or covid-19 must report it to the district and readmission following the diagnosis will require clearance from a physician.

Cafeteria service: Meals will be served in alternate settings, such as classrooms; use directional arrows to create social distancing traffic flow; limit exposed food and maximize grab-and-go meals.

Additional details: More information at rb.gy/ppzbsg

Chartiers Valley

Start date: Aug. 24

Type of instruction: Full-time, in-person instruction, with option of online learning through the CV Cyber Academy.

Health requirements: Parents should check child’s temperature before sending them to school; breaks will be provided for hand sanitizing; sanitization stations will be set up throughout school buildings. High-touch areas such as doorknobs and handles will be cleaned frequently. All non-essential furniture will be removed from classes to allow more space for social distancing and outdoor learning spaces will be used as much as possible.

Cafeteria service: Social distancing will be enforced with distance markings.

Additional details: School officials said they are prepared to shift to hybrid or fully online methods depending on changing state mandates and guidelines. More information at cvsd.net

Clairton

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Full time in-school classes are available for elementary students. Other options include, hybrid, 100% remote or cyber academy.

Cafeteria service: Students may eat in the classrooms, cafeteria, outside or any large common area where social distancing can be maintained. Food will be prepared and/or packaged according to all CDC guidelines.

Additional details: More information at ccsdbears.org

Cornell

Start date: Sept. 2.

Health requirements: Temperatures will be self-monitored, with thermometers available if a student needs to be checked.

Cafeteria service: District will use either a grab-and-go approach or spreading out in the cafeteria and classrooms.

Additional details: Half-day schedules and 100% online learning are being considered. More information at cornellsd.org

Deer Lakes

Start date: Aug. 26

Type of instruction: Blended. Students have the option of in-person classes or online instruction.

Cafeteria service: Hot and cold options will be served for breakfast and lunch. All food will be handed/served to students and cashiers will have plexiglass barriers. Lunch will last for 40 minutes with students being split into two 20-minute groups. Students will be required to maintain 6 feet of distance in the cafeteria and face coverings are required until students sit down to eat. There will be grab-and-go meals available for students using onlinene learning.

Additional details: A hybrid option for in-person instruction will be decided at an upcoming school board meeting. Should a majority of students want in-person instruction, the district will assign the students into two groups. Each group would attend in person-instruction two days a week, with online learning the remaining three days. More information at deerlakes.net

Derry Area

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Elementary students may opt for full-time remote learning, full-time in-school instruction or a hybrid program providing two days of in-school instruction and three days of remote instruction each week. Students in grades 6-12 will receive instruction according to the hybrid program.

Health requirements: Students and staff are to sanitize their hands when entering a building, when leaving a classroom and regularly throughout the day. Hand sanitizer use also is required after coughing or sneezing. Students and staff are to be checked for possible covid-19 symptoms at home, using a state screening tool, before reporting to school.

Cafeteria service: Staff will hand food and utensils directly to students, who will practice social distancing. Plexiglass partitions will be installed around serving lines. Boxed lunches will be served when appropriate.

Additional details: More information at rb.gy/e05ua2

Diocese of Greensburg

Start date: Various for 12 schools, depending upon the starting times for the school district in which the parochial school is located.

Type of instruction: In-school instruction, but students can opt for distance learning.

Additional details: Catholic Schools Office seeks to buy clear, tri-fold shields for students’ desks or tables. Stucents and staff to engage in health screenings. Visitors and volunteers will be limited. More information at rb.gy/56dac9

Diocese of Pittsburgh

Start Date: Aug. 27 for elementary schools; various dates for high schools.

Type of instruction: In-class instruction, but students can opt for distance learning.

Health requirements: Temperatures screenings will be conducted daily for students, teachers and staff. Classroom setups will adhere to social distancing. Visitors and volunteers will be limited. School buldings will be sanitized and frequently touched surfaces will be cleaned. Masses and sporting events will adhere to social distancing rules.

Additional details: More information at diopitt.org/schools

East Allegheny

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Online for the first nine weeks, with exceptions for students who have individualized education plans and require in-person instruction. Students return to blended instruction for the second nine weeks on a two-day-a-week rotation to allow for deep cleaning.

Health requirements: Desks will be placed 6 feet apart and plexiglass will be installed in group areas such as the gym, library and cafeteria.

Cafeteria service: For first nine weeks of virtual learning, food service will be “provided in accordance with guidance and as required by the PA Department of Education,” the plan states. During When in-person instruction, food will be served in to-go boxes.

Additional details: More information at eawildcats.net

Elizabeth Forward

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Students can choose between in-school instruction via a hybrid model of two days per week in school and three days of remote instruction, or full-time distance learning. All students will utilize online learning on Wednesdays to allow for deep cleaning of buildings.

Cafeteria service: The district plans to use classrooms for lunches at the elementary level, and is reviewing numbers to determine the use of the cafeteria in the upper grade levels, possibly staggering its use with disinfection between groups of students.

Additional details: More information at EFSD.net

Fox Chapel Area

Type of instruction: Both in-person and online learning. Students can choose a hybrid model with two days in-person and three days online or a fully remote option.

Health requirements: Families are asked to do a symptoms check each morning. High-touch surfaces will be cleaned daily in schools and buildings will be sanitized at night. Buses will be cleaned daily.

Cafeteria service: Students can remove masks when eating or drinking. Outdoor eating will be encouraged if weather permits.

Elementary students will remain with the same teacher during face-to-face learning and online. Students in grades six to 12 will move between classes. Furniture has been removed from classrooms to provide extra space for social distance seating. Special classes will be scheduled outdoors when possible.

Additional details: More information at fcasd.edu

Franklin Regional

Start date: Sept. 8

Type of instruction: For kindergarten through eighth grade, students can choose from in-person learning, a hybrid model (two days in-class, three days of distance learning) and full-time distance learning through the Franklin Regional Online Academy (FROLA). High school students can choose between the hybrid model and full-time distance learning.

Health requirements: Bus drivers will have multiple daily temperature checks, and buses will be cleaned between runs. No field trips, and athletic/extracurricular transportation will be limited to students required to participate.

Cafeteria service: Middle school will have split lunch periods. High school will utilize modified lunches and class changes to maximize social distancing.

Additional details: More information at FRSDk12.org.

Freeport

Start date: Sept. 8

Type of instruction: Choice between in-person, remote and blended instruction.

Health requirements: Students and employees will conduct self-checks before arriving on campus; temperature checks and other scans for symptoms will become part of the daily routine.

Cafeteria service: Seating to be configured to maximize distance between students and additional lunch areas will be added, such as gyms and large group rooms. If needed, grab-and-go bag lunches will be used for students to eat in classrooms. Lunch line groups will be staggered and spaced out.

Additional details: District’s health and safety plan will be updated further at a meeting Aug. 7. The school calendar may include intermittent remote instruction days (for example, every other Friday) where students learn remotely and teachers refine online content, as well as engage in on-time professional development. More information at freeport.k12.pa.us

Gateway

Start date: Sept. 8

Type of instruction: Choice between blended or online learning.

Health requirements: Parents should keep children at home if they display symptoms.

Cafeteria service: Seating will be spaced 6 feet apart. Plexiglass will be installed in areas where food is served.

Additional details: Parents had a choice of a blended model, where students go to school for in-person instruction for two days per week, with online instruction during the remaining three, or enrolling in the district’s Allegheny Intermediate Unit cyber academy, which includes recorded instruction. The third option is a hybrid online program, combining live and recorded instruction. More information at gatewayk12.org

Greater Latrobe

Start Date: Aug. 31 for grades 1-6, 7 and 9; Sept. 1 for grades 8 and 10-12; Sept. 2 for kindergarten.

Type of instruction: The plan is for elementary students to return to full in-school instruction. The district will follow a hybrid model of in-school instruction two days per week and online instruction three days per week for secondary students, at least through Sept. 25. Families may opt for full-time online instruction.

Health requirements: Parents are to take students’ temperatures before school and staff are required to take their temperatures before entering a school building; those with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher may not come to school.

Cafeteria service: Secondary schools will have students eat in smaller groups. Alternate spaces, including outdoor areas, will be provided for dining.

Additional details: Students from the same household will be seated together on buses to maintain social distancing. Parents are encouraged to provide transportation for students, if possible. Students who are properly licensed will be permitted to drive themselves and, with parental permission, other members of their household. More information at glsd.us

Greensburg Salem

Start Date: Sept. 8

Type of instruction: Blended. Students will be split into two groups, with one attending school on Mondays and Tuesdays and the other on Thursdays and Fridays. All would have online learning the other three days. Plan is subject to change.

Health requirements: Hand sanitizer will be available in every classroom and in hallways. Students will sanitize hands when entering and exiting classrooms. A symptom checklist will be provided online for parents and staff.

Cafeteria service: Students will pick up lunches and eat in the cafeteria, though without buffet lines or salad bars.

Additional Details: Siblings will be placed in the same groups. Class dismissal times will be staggered to prevent crowded hallways. More information at greensburgsalem.org

Hampton

Start Date: Aug. 27

Additional details: More information at ht-sd.org

Hempfield Area

Start date: Aug. 27

Type of instruction: Choice between blended or online learning.

Health requirements: Plexiglass will be placed in areas where social distancing is a challenge — such as computer labs, serving lines and office areas. Some water fountains will be modified to include touchless devices for filling water bottles. Hand sanitizer stations will be placed in high-traffic areas.

Cafeteria service: Students will eat lunch in the cafeterias with half the student body. Seating will be arranged to ensure 6 feet is between each student, and they will not face each other when eating.

Additional details: Preliminary plans have kindergarteners attending school for half-days. Students in grades 1-5 would begin school at 9:15 a.m. with smaller class sizes to promote social distancing. Grades 6-12 would attend school every other day, with online instruction on the days between.

A second phase of the plan will bring students back in a more traditional model. More information at hasdpa.net.

Highlands

Start date: Aug. 28

Type of instruction: Hybrid; two days in school, three days remote. Students to be divided into two groups, one attending in-person Mondays and Tuesdays, the other on Wednesdays and Thursdays. All students will work remotely on Fridays. Parents have option to enroll their children in the district’s cyber program full time.

Health requirements: Parents to check child’s temperature each morning and complete a health screening checklist, which students will submit upon arriving at school. Students should not report if temperature is over 100.4 degrees.

Cafeteria service: Meals served through combination of grab-and-go and hot meals, with plexiglass partitions installed in serving areas. Additional spaces will be used to assure distancing. Equipment to be sanitized between lunch periods.

Additional details: Students in first through 12th grade will get Chromebooks. Kindergarteners will get iPads. District bought Wi-Fi hotspots to ensure all families have internet access at home. More information at goldenrams.com

Jeannette City

Start date: Aug. 27

Type of instruction: Blended, with an option to choose between in-person instruction or daily learning through a virtual academy. Students can switch between the two options at any time during the school year.

Health requirements: Students and staff will have their temperatures checked daily upon entering buildings. Traffic flows in hallways and stairwells will be directional and restroom occupancy will be limited.

Cafeteria service: More lunch periods will be used with smaller groups of students. Seating will be changed to allow for more space between students.

Additional details: Students fully in the virtual academy will be eligible to participate in sports and extracurricular activities. More information at rb.gy/f6tlsh.

Keystone Oaks

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Choice of hybrid in-person instruction, online synchronous instruction or asychronous instruction through Keystone Oaks Cyber Academy.

Health requirements: Staff and families will conduct daily self-checks before coming to school.

Cafeteria service: All lunches will be packaged individually. Elementary students will eat in the cafeteria with appropriate spacing during the green phase, or in classrooms during the yellow phase. Secondary students will be permitted to eat in the cafeteria, gym and other spaces. District also is exploring the use of outdoor tents for lunch.

Additional details: More information at kosd.org

Kiski Area

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Proposed to have remote learning for first two weeks.

Additional details: More information at kiskiarea.com

Leechburg Area

Start date: Aug. 26

Type of instruction: Blended

Health requirements: Temperature checks will be performed before students and adults enter the buildings.

Cafeteria service: District will serve hot and cold lunch options. Seating will be available in the cafeteria, auditorium, elementary gym and outside.

Additional details: Students in grades K-12 will receive Chromebooks and will be trained on how to use Google Classroom. Online instruction only would be required if the county moves back to yellow or red phase. District will help families without internet access. Work packets will not be supplied. More information at rb.gy/zwnfns

Ligonier Valley

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Choice of hybrid model, with two days per week at school for pre-K-Grade 8 and up to 4 days per week at school for Grades 9-12, or full-time remote learning.

Health requirements: At-home temperature checks are requested before students or staff report to school. Temperatures also will be taken before entering a school building. Those with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher should stay at home.

Cafeteria service: Additonial lunch periods will be scheduled to allow for social distancing in the cafeteria.

Additional details: Students not reaching academic goals will be required to attend class virtually or at school until progress is maintained. More information at lvsd.k12.pa.us

McKeesport Area

Start date: Aug. 26

Additional details: More information at mckasd.net

Monessen City

Start Date: Sept. 8

Type of instruction: Blended plan, with parents able to choose between a mix of in-person and online learning or full-time virtual education. Students learning in-person will be split into two groups, with one coming to school Mondays and Wednesdays and the other on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Additional details: Parents and students will be trained the week of Sept. 8 on the district’s new online learning platform. More information at rb.gy/jsbb1t

Montour

Start Date: Sept. 1.

Type of instruction: Three options available: in-person, live remote or cyber academy. If district is required to operate at 50% capacity, an alphabetical A/B schedule will be used with face-to-face and remote learning instruction.

Health requirements: CDC recommendations and guidelines will be used, including in- and out-of-school temperature screenings.

Cafeteria service: Cafeteria and other group areas will be restricted and meals will be served in alternate settings, like classrooms.

Additional details: Students will not share devices. More information at montourschools.com.

 

Moon

Start Date: Aug. 24

Type of instruction: Blended options in yellow or green phase, with at-home instruction if in red phase.

Health requirements: Student and staff temperature checks will be self-reported daily, and staff will complete a self-reporting questionnaire daily.

Cafeteria service: Food will be served in to-go bags with classes staggered for pickup in the cafeteria.

Additional details: Students in kindergarten-Grade 4 will be provided iPads, with students in Grades 5-12 receiving laptops. School supplies and learning materials will not be shared. More information at moonarea.net.

Mt. Lebanon

Start date: Aug. 31-Sept. 2, depending on grade.

Type of instruction: In-person instruction during green phase, with hybrid model in yellow phase and fully remote learning in red phase. All students have option to fully enroll in Mt. Lebanon’s Cyber Learning Academy. Instruction will be “supplemented with online tools to allow for changes in delivery and to support students who may be absent from class for extended periods due to illness or quarantine.”

Health requirements: Buses will load by filling seats from back to front to limit students walking by each other, with front row left empty. Students will be assigned seats. Students and drivers will wear face coverings.

Cafeteria service: Changes will be made to lunch periods and dining locations.

Additional details: Arrival and dismissal times will be staggered, modifications will be made to the physical education, vocal and instrumental curriculums. Additional safety precautions will be taken in classrooms with students who have complex medical or educational needs. More information at mtlsd.org

Mt. Pleasant Area

Start date: Sept. 8

Type of instruction: Blended

Health requirements: Staff and students are to do self-checks at home. Temperature checks also will be required upon entry at a school building.

Cafeteria service: Additional rooms are being considered for students to eat lunch. Some students may be separated based on if they bring a lunch or if they buy one. Seating will be staggered.

Additional details: Parents and students have the option of choosing between in-person instruction or online learning from district staff. District may opt for a hybrid model for in-person instruction, which could include a couple days in school and the rest at home with online learning. Students will receive a Chromebook and can follow their coursework through pre-recorded or live instruction. A student could switch between the two at any point during a school year. More information at mpasd.net

New Kensington-Arnold

Start date: Sept. 8

Type of instruction: In-school

Health requirements: Temperature checks upon entering buildings, families expected to self-monitor.

Additional details: Students and families may opt for distance learning due to safety or health concerns. Schools would be closed if there is a spike in covid-19 cases in the district or its communities. Accommodations will be made for younger students and those with unique health or learning requirements. Bus routes adjusted to balance ridership; parents encouraged to bring children to school. More information at nkasd.com

Northgate

Start date: Aug. 31 for grades 1-12; kindergarten begins Sept. 1.

Type of instruction: Will begin online only. District officials will begin to phase in blended learning starting at the beginning of October. Under that model, students in kindergarten through second grade will attend school five days a week. Students in Grades 3-12 will attend school in two different groups — the first attending in-person classes Monday and Thursday with the second on Tuesday and Friday. When not in school, students will work virtually.

Health requirements: Bathrooms will be limited to three people at a time.

Cafeteria service: Two lunch locations will be offered to allow for 6 feet of social distancing. The cafeteria will be used for eating while the auditorium and bleachers will be a staging area where tables will be wiped down. .

Additional details: More information at northgatesd.net

North Allegheny

Start Date: Sept. 8

Type of instruction: In-person or remote learning provided by NA Cyber Academy. Three options available: full-time in-person or remote instruction, or hybrid in-person and remote instruction.

Health requirements: Parents will do temperature checks before sending children to school.

Cafeteria service: Reduced a la cart and individual selections, with emphasis grab-and-go meals. Auditoriums, gymnasiums, multipurpose rooms and possibly classrooms will be used for dining to allow social distancing.

Additional details: Bus routes also will be shortened and stops consolidated where feasible to limit the time students spend on the bus. More information at northallegheny.org

North Hills

Start Date: Aug. 25

Health requirements: Parents/guardians must only send their students to school if they are healthy with no fever or symptoms of illness and have not been exposed to covid-19.

Cafeteria service: Grab-and-go meals to be offered whenever possible, with students encouraged to bring their lunch. Seating will be spaced apart, using hallways as necessary. Surfaces, tabletops and chairs will be sanitized between lunch periods and/or use groups.

Additional details: More information at rb.gy/e2ofdm.

Norwin

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Under current government,restrictions in the green phase, Norwin will start in a hybrid format. Students will attend school in person two days a week, — Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday, based on the first letter of their last name. All students will learn online on Wednesday.—

Health requirements: Families will be encouraged to conduct self-sreening at home. Temperatures will not be taken at school. Students are to wear masks on buses. School buildings will be sanitized on Wednesday. Hand sanitizers will be available and drinking fountains will be converted for use only as water bottler fillers.

Cafeteria service: Parents are asked to complete a form which contains six sections of questions that will guide the district’s and each building’s planning for instruction, transportation, face coverings, meal provision, technology access, and students’ mental wellness. They will be asked whether they want their child to have two days of in-school instruction or participate in the Norwin Online Academy, taught by Norwin teachers.

Additional details: More information atfiles.constantcontact.com/.

Penn Hills

Start Date: Aug. 25

Health requirements: A parental survey asks if families would agree to do enhanced wellness checks, including a temperature check, before school.

Additional details: More information at rb.gy/qtz2nm

Penn-Trafford

Start date: Aug. 27

Type of instruction: Hybrid at the high school, in school for lower grades, with at-home online options available.

Health requirements: Temperature screening is not required.

Cafeteria service: Food will be served by staff, rather than buffet style. The district may use additional classrooms or gyms during lunch in order to space students as much as possible.

Additional details: The district originally planned for a full reopening, but changed its plans the week before the start of school in response to state guidelines. Students at the high school will be split into two groups, “green” and “gold.” Each will attend school on alternate days and receive at-home online instruction the rest of the time. Students in grades K-8 will attend school as normal, however all students will have the first seven Fridays of the school year off. These days will be used for teacher training and the development of online lesson plans. Parents who do not want to send their children to school have several options. They can receive at-home digital instruction from staff to match the in-person curriculum as closely as possible, or enroll in the P-T e-academy cyberschool, which features instruction from teachers from several Westmoreland County districts. More information at penntrafford.org

Pine-Richland

Start Date: Aug. 26.

Health Requirements: Temperature checks will be conducted by parents and staff.

Cafeteria service: Grab-and-go options will be made available.

Additional details: More information at pinerichland.org

Pittsburgh

Type of instruction: Remote instruction for the first nine weeks.

Health requirements: Students will have temperatures checked twice a day and will be required to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer before entering the classroom. Equipment that has to be taken home will be sprayed with sanitizer.

Cafeteria service: Capacity in cafeterias and other communal spaces will be limited, and food service staff will undergo covid-19 safety awareness training.

Additional details: When students, faculty and staff do return to buildings, they will use a blended approach to instruction. More information at pghschools.org

Plum

State Date: Sept. 2

Type of instruction: Plans include children returning to school, a blended model with some in-class and online learning. A digital learning academy is in the works for families who want to make a longer distance learning commitment.

Health requirements: Parents are asked to do temperature and wellness checks on students prior to school. Plans include at least 3 feet of physical distancing, floor markings to signify distance and direction.

Cafeteria service: Cafeteria, classrooms and other spaces are under consideration for use during meal times to ensure social distancing.

Additional details: There will be cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting and ventilation of all buildings as well as monitoring student and staff health. Cameras will be placed in classrooms so students can watch lessons through Google Classroom. More information at pbsd.net

Quaker Valley

Start Date: Aug. 26: kindergarten through ninth grade; Aug. 27: grades 10, 11 and 12.

Type of instruction: Online-only option or combination of in-person and online instruction.

Health requirements: Staff and families asked to conduct daily symptom assessments and take temperatures. Schools will have thermometers to check students who may need assistance.

Cafeteria service: Menus will be revised to provide more “grab-and-go” meals when possible.

Additional details: The hybrid plan for elementary pupils calls for four days of in-person instruction and one day of classes online. Middle and high school students will attend classes in school for one day, three days online with a teacher and one day of independent remote learning. More information at qvsd.org

Riverview

Start Date: Aug. 27

Type of instruction: Children may go back to school or continue online learning. Plans have not been finalized.

Health requirements: Parents are asked to check their children’s temperature and watch for any signs of illness. Water fountains will be replaced with water bottle filling stations. There will be hand sanitizers in all classrooms. Students will not be able to share materials and locker visits will be minimized. Students at both elementary schools will spend most of their day in homeroom with materials ready for them in the classrooms. Teachers will be using Microsoft Teams during instruction so online students can follow lessons and see their instructors. Dividers will be installed in classrooms as an additional safety measure. Desks have been reconfigured at the schools and unnecessary furniture will be removed to add more space.

Cafeteria service: Tables in the cafeteria will be exchanged for desks in order to have social distancing.

Additional details: More information at rsd.k12.pa.us

Shaler Area

Type of instruction: The district has delayed the start of school until Sept. 8 and it will be 100% virtual learning for the first four weeks.

Health requirements: Schools will not check temperatures every day but parents are asked to perform a symptoms check each morning. There will be signs and hand sanitizers through the building to encourage distancing and proper cleaning.

The schools will be cleaned nightly and high-touch surfaces will be disinfected throughout the day.

If someone tests positive for covid-19, the affected area of the building will be closed for 24 hours or for as long as possible before cleaning.

Cafeteria service: Children can take masks off while eating or drinking, but will have to be sitting at least six feet apart.

Instruction: During remote learning days in the hybrid model, students can expect to have both guided and self-directed lessons via Google Classroom, Google Meets or another approved web-based system. Students will be provided with independent learning activities. Teachers will have scheduled “office” hours in order to address questions related to the curriculum.

If schools are closed for a long period of time, the district would switch to a fully remote model like in the spring. Google Classroom would continue to be the learning system for all students and taught by the child’s classroom teacher.

The Titan Cyber Academy is the district’s fully online program. Students will have both synchronous and asynchronous learning five days a week.

The standards-based curriculum will be delivered by a district teacher and/or a contracted employee.

Additional details: More information at sasd.k12.pa.us

South Allegheny

Start date: Aug. 24

Type of instruction: Phased approach. Students will start the school year completely distance learning, with adults brought back first. Students will then be brought in one borough at a time, once a week. Students from Liberty will attend on Monday, Port Vue on Tuesday, Glassport on Wednesday and Lincoln on Thursday, with all students learning remotely on Fridays.

Additional details: Administrators are working on plans to distribute computers to students, but because of supply problems due to the pandemic, the district does not expect to have a device for every student at the start of the school year. More information at southallegheny.org

South Fayette

Start Date: Sept. 2

Type of instruction: Preliminary plans indicate students can come back to school, participate in a mix of in-person and online instruction as well as an online academy for a longer commitment of distance learning. Plans have not yet been finalized.

Health requirements: Parents are asked to do temperature and wellness checks on their children prior to school. Hand sanitizers will be available in all classrooms.

Cafeteria service: Cafeteria space will be limited. Elementary students will eat in classrooms. Additional spaces will be used for middle and high school lunch and there will be assigned seating.

Additional details: District officials said they’re working to provide kindergartners with iPads so every student will have a device for distance learning if necessary. More information at southfayette.org

Southmoreland

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Blended model of in-class instruction and distance learning. Students will be separated into two groups, alternating each day on a six-day cycle between distance and in-person instruction. All students in one household will attend school on the same day and have distance learning the following day, alternating on a six-day cycle.

Health requirements: Student seating will be spaced to the greatest extent possible. Hand sanitizing practices will be mandatory and hand sanitizing stations will be located throughout the buildings.

Additional details: More information at rb.gy/mmhntn

Additional details: Bottle-filling stations will replace water fountains. Plexiglass will be installed in office areas, nurse’s stations, serving lines and any areas where social distancing may be difficult. There will be one-way student traffic flow and altered schedules to minimize student movement.

South Park

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Hybrid, with students assigned to one of two groups based on the first letter of their last name. Those who don’t feel comfortable can enroll in the South Park Cyber Academy for remote instruction.

Health requirements: The district will ask families and staff to do daily at-home self screenings, as well as perform temperature checks at school daily.

Cafeteria service: Each building has identified alternate areas where students will eat, in addition to cafeterias, to comply with social distancing.

Additional details: Students opting for hybrid instruction will be in the buildings two days a week. All students will work remotely on Fridays of a five-day school week. More information at rb.gy/pbwndz

Steel Valley

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Hybrid and remote. Students will be divided into two groups attending school two days a week, then having remote study for three days. Full remote learning and cyberschool will be available.

Health requirements: Temperature checks at school and wellness questionnaire.

Cafeteria service: Cafeteria service available, students distance with Plexiglas at tables.

Additional details: More information at steelvalleysd.org

Sto-Rox

Start date: Aug. 20

Type of instruction: In school or through the virtual Viking Academy.

Cafeteria service: Breakfast will be served in classrooms; lunches will be served at various places that allow for social distancing.

Additional details: More information at srsd.k12.pa.us

Upper St. Clair

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Families will have the option of enrolling their children in the Upper St. Clair remote learning program. All USC students will be issued a technology device regardless of their choice of instruction.

Additional details: More information at rb.gy/wrclsz

West Allegheny

Type of instruction: In-person classes, real-time virtual learning, classes offered through the West Allegheny Virtual Academy and a blend of in-person and virtual classes.

Health requirements: Thermographic cameras will take temperatures, arrivals and dismissals will be staggered and parents will be encouraged to take their children to school or allow them to drive themselves.

Cafeteria service: Grab-and-go breakfasts will be offered, lunches will be served to students in areas that allow for social distancing and cash-free payment options are preferred.

Additional details: More information at westasd.org

West Jefferson

Start date: Aug. 24

Type of instruction: Families will have an option to continue online learning, and mix in some in-person instruction while Allegheny County remains in the green phase.

Health requirements: Parents would be asked to take their children’s temperature and check for symptoms prior to school. Officials are also asking parents to bring their children to school if possible to reduce the number of students on buses.

Cafeteria service: Details not available.

Additional details:.More information at wjhsd.net

West Mifflin Area

Start Date: Aug. 26

Type of instruction: Families will have a choice between in-person instruction five days a week or all-virtual instruction.

Health requirements: Parents are encouraged to drive their children to and from school. Parents must perform a temperature check and online covid-19 screening form daily before school.

Cafeteria service: The cafeteria will have social distancing markers. Students may be allowed to eat in other areas, including gyms and classrooms. Food options will be limited and the cafeteria will implement more pre-packaged products.

Additional details: Classrooms will have no more than 25 people. Students may not be permitted to bring book bags or backpacks. More information at wmasd.org

Wilkinsburg

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Students will begin the school year with online learning via Google classroom and Zoom and/or Google Meets video conferencing tools. Officials plan to review and monitor state and federal data and protocols concerning covid-19 during each monthly board meeting. If officials feel it is safe, the district could move into blended instruction.

Additional details: More information at wilkinsburgschools.org

Woodland Hills

Start date: Aug. 21

Type of instruction: The year will begin with virtual learning and will shift to a blended model once Allegheny County has 14 days of continuously declining cases.

Health requirements: At-home health screening is encouraged.

Cafeteria service: Breakfast and lunch will be served in classrooms.

Additional details: More information at whsd.net

Yough

Start date: Aug. 31

Type of instruction: Choice of in-person or virtual classes

Health requirements: Hand sanitizer will be available at every school entrance and in every room. One-way hallways will be utilized where possible.

Cafeteria service: Students will sit 6 feet apart while eating lunch. Masks will not be required while eating, but they must be worn when moving around the cafeteria. Other areas of the school may used as additional places for students to eat.

Additional details: Students will have three learning options. The first is in-person classes where they will follow their regular schedule. Virtual live instruction will allow students to watch a live lesson through Google Classroom; virtual recorded instruction will allow students to complete lessons based on their individual needs. Chromebooks will be provided to every student. More information at youghsd.net