BVA will consider back-to-school plan
By Christine Haines
chaines@yourmvi.com
The Belle Vernon Area School Board will hold a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. Monday to review plans for bringing students back into classrooms full time.
At an agenda meeting Tuesday, the administration outlined a plan for the school board that would bring students back slowly, a few grades every two weeks, starting with students at the Career and Technical Center going four days a week starting Oct. 5. By the end of Thanksgiving break, the plan had all students back in school five days a week.
Administrators explained that the biggest issue with the plan is that social distancing would no longer be possible with more students in the buildings, so if there were to be a case of COVID-19 in the schools, more students would be exposed.
To date, there have been no positive cases of COVID-19 among the students since the start of school. There was one prior to the start and two among student-athletes this summer that affected three sports.
According to Vickie McCullough, the district’s pandemic coordinator, 69 athletes and nine coaches underwent a 14-day quarantine because of the contact with the student athletes who tested positive.
McCullough said seven students were sent home with possible COVID-19 symptoms the week of Sept. 14 and four more were sent home this week with instructions to see their doctors.
“We are not saying each child who is sent home has to be COVID tested,” McCullough said.
McCullough said students or staff members who have any one of the symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing should stay home. Those with two or more symptoms — including sore throat, runny nose congestion, chills or muscle pains, a new lack of smell or taste, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting or headache — should also stay home.
“All these symptoms have been associated with COVID-positive patients,” McCullough said.
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