Ligonier Valley students set to return to classrooms 5 days per week
Younger students in Ligonier Valley School District are set to return to classrooms full time this week.
On Tuesday, students in grades K4-6 will be able to attend classes in person five days per week, following Easter break. Seventh-graders also will have the option of full-time instruction in a classroom beginning Thursday.
Details remained to be finalized for providing full-time classroom instruction for students in grades 8-12, possibly beginning April 12.
Ligonier Valley students had been back in classrooms part time — with remote instruction for all on Wednesdays, which allowed for deep cleaning of district schools.
According to Superintendent Christine Oldham, all students will continue to be required to wear masks at school and on buses.
The possibility of providing full-time instruction for secondary students comes after a change in state guidelines for social distancing at schools.
Under the revised guidelines, Oldham noted, secondary schools that are within a county where covid-19 transmission is at a “substantial” level may provide in-person instruction to students if they maintain 6 feet of social distancing “to the maximum extent possible.” At lesser “moderate” or “low” county transmission levels, only 3 feet of social distancing is required.
“This is a total game-changer, and we are working hard to prepare the logistics around this return,” Oldham said in a letter posted last week on the district website.
She noted 6 feet of distance between people still will be required in the cafeteria, music rooms and gymnasiums.
Positive covid-19 cases among students or staff still could prompt closure of an affected school building for a few days, she said.
Students can continue to opt for full-time remote instruction or a hybrid schedule, with lessons delivered remotely on some days and in person on others.
State officials list a county a having a substantial transmission level if 100 or more covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents are reported in a seven-day period. Westmoreland County had just under 115 cases per 100,000 residents for the week ending April 1.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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