McKeesport Area School District: First day of classes altered again

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

The McKeesport Area School District has once again changed the first day of school.

Students will now return to classes Sept. 2.

And as a result of about 1,000 of its roughly 3,400 students signing up for remote-only learning, the district has altered its “blended” hybrid reopening model to eliminate the in-person afternoon learning session.

At the August meeting, the school board approved the district administration’s request to have school start Aug. 26 — a week later than students were initially supposed to go back to school according to the district’s original 2020-21 calendar. 

The board also approved a blended reopening model that had students who did not choose the virtual-only option for the first nine weeks attending school in person five half-days per week. Students with a last name beginning with A-K were to attend the morning session and students with last names starting with L-Z would attend in the afternoon. Those students would utilize the district’s online remote learning platform when they weren’t in the classroom.

Over the weekend, MASD announced that all students will be in the same session.

“As we promised throughout this process, we have continually watched our data and used it to re-evaluate each decision made,” the district said on its website and social media. “After analyzing the latest numbers from our MASD Online Learning students, plus additional requests and communications, we have decided to eliminate the scheduled afternoon session of in-person instruction.  There will no longer be two student sessions per day (a.m./p.m.), and all students will be going to school during the same session.

“We believe that by bringing students in on this schedule, it will be more efficient for not only our buildings and staff, but our families.” 

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