Pittsburgh Public Schools returning to all remote instruction next week

Pittsburgh Public Schools will close all school buildings and return to fully remote instruction next week, district officials confirmed.

The district had reopened for in-person instruction — for a small number of students — on Nov. 9. Those students included those with special needs and English learners. The majority of students are still learning from home until January.

“In consultation with our district physician and aligned to guidance by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, we will transition back to full-time E-Learning for all students,” said Superintendent Anthony Hamlet in a statement. “While it was a joy to actually see children and teachers in our buildings again, the safety of our students, staff and families is a top priority. We cannot ignore the continued growth of covid-19 in our area.”

Ebony Pugh, spokeswoman for the district, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Even with reduced population in buildings, the week and the days preceding reopening have been plagued by repeated building closures as both students and staff test positive for covid-19.

Most recently, the district’s Arsenal facility closed Friday after two staff members tested positive. Last week, before in-person classes even resumed, staff members had tested positive at Pittsburgh Obama and Pittsburgh Westinghouse, prompting building closures and affecting Grab-and-Go meal distribution. A closure in place at Pittsburgh Conroy Education Center, Conroy Early Childhood Center and the Early Childhood Administrative Offices were also extended to Nov. 16, according to the district website.

The Arsenal facility will be closed tomorrow, Friday, November 13 after two staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The building will close in line with guidance by @PADeptofEd. Students at both schools will continue to learn remotely. The building will reopen on 11/20.

— Pgh Public Schools (@PPSnews) November 13, 2020

“We’ve been open four days and it’s been a very tough, very stressful four days,” said Nina Esposito-Visgitis, president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. “Now we have people sick and people going home and people taking leave and fear and angst and anxiety and the numbers going up.”

The news comes after several record-breaking daily increases in coronavirus cases across the region and mounting hospitalizations. Allegheny County officials and medical experts from across the county delivered a dire and pleading message Thursday as the number of covid-19 cases continued to rise after a record 412 new cases. The county reported its second-highest daily number on Friday, 378.

Central Catholic closes

Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh announced Friday that it will institute fully remote learning until at least Dec. 1 after a fourth positive covid-19 test connected to the school.

“The cases appear to be independent of each other,” officials said in a statement. “There is no evidence of internal spread of the virus. Effective immediately, all athletics and extracurricular activities that cannot be conducted online are suspended while Central Catholic is online-only.”