Allegheny Valley School Board approves all virtual first month of school

After Allegheny Valley School District parents and school board members questioned a proposal for a phased reopening last week, the board approved a revised plan Thursday night for an all-virtual first month of school.

Allegheny Valley School District students are scheduled to start Aug. 24 via virtual learning for a month. Then the district will move to a phased return to school buildings with half of the students attending two days a week and the other half reporting on two different days. The district will offer its own cyber school, Dynamo Virtual Academy.

The reopening plan was approved by a 6-3 vote Thursday with dissenting votes by board members Joelle McFarland, Paula Jean Moretti and Antonio Pollino, said Jan Zastawniak, district spokeswoman.

Phone calls placed to board Chairman Larry Pollick and the three board members who voted against the plan were not immediately returned.

The administration outlined the reopening plan in a 17-minute video on the district’s website.

“It’s impossible to have all students in our building at one time and follow the (government’s pandemic) guidelines presented to date,” Superintendent Patrick Graczyk said.

To the deliver the best educational arrangements during the pandemic, the district will provide instruction in three phases: virtual classes in real time and taped lessons; blended instruction with students learning in district buildings and virtual platforms; and traditional full attendance in school buildings, Graczyk said.

“At any time, we can move back or forward to any phase. To be clear, there are no zero-risk options,” he said. “Our goal is to have all students return.”

The first month of virtual education will feature live feed of teachers presenting lessons as well as recorded videos of lessons and assignments for students, said Katie Regner, a district elementary reading specialist.

Students would follow the same schedule of classes they have for district buildings, only the classes will be held virtually. The first week of school will focus on setting up class procedures, she said. Students will have face-to-face time with teachers via the internet, she said.

The district will continue to update instruction arrangements with guidance from the Pennsylvania departments of education and special education, the federal Centers for Disease Control and the Allegheny County Health Department, said Janice Nuzzo, director of student achievement for the school district and chair of its Reopening Committee.

Last Tuesday, the school board approved its Health Safety Plan, which includes all students wearing masks when they return to school facilities and staying socially distant, along with increased sanitary practices.