COVID-19 touches all of BVA’s buildings

By Christine Haines

chaines@yourmvi.com

COVID-19 continues to impact the staff and students in the Belle Vernon Area School District.

“The last few days have been very difficult. We’ve had multiple cases come up,” Superintendent Dr. Michele Dowell said at Monday night’s school board meeting.

Following the meeting, Dowell posted a letter to parents on the district website regarding information she received Monday.

“(W)e were notified of positive cases in all of our school buildings. We had to contact trace in some but not in every building,” Dowell stated.

She said at least 18 students and staff members across the district have been impacted by the virus, either needing to quarantine for various reasons or because they tested positive themselves.

“I don’t like the decisions we have to make, but their health and safety comes first,” Dowell said.

She told parents they will be notified if their children have been in close contact with any of the positive cases and she urged parents to keep their children home if they exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19.

“As you know, we are going to remote instruction after the Thanksgiving break for all students,” Dowell wrote. “On December 7, 2020 at our work session, we will be evaluating the status of our community and the number of positive COVID-19 cases to determine what will happen for the remainder of December and into January.”

“I would love to have the kids back five says a week,” she said at the board meeting, “but I have to do what is best for their safety.”

To read the rest of the story, please see a copy of Tuesday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at http://monvalleyindependent.com.