Charleroi OKs students’ return in back-to-school plan
By Taylor Brown
tbrown@yourmvi.com
The Charleroi Area School District is ready to welcome students back to class next month.
During a business meeting Tuesday, school board directors approved a reopening plan that will allow students to be in classrooms with their peers and teachers five days each week.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the district safely opened schools for a hybrid model of learning in October.
Because of a spike in cases, students returned to a virtual model in December and January before returning to the hybrid model to finish the 2020-21 school year.
Superintendent Dr. Ed Zelich and other district administrators have worked to ensure students can return to a normal learning environment this year if they feel comfortable to do so.
Under recommendations from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Zelich said he feels confident in the health and safety plan the board approved Tuesday.
Students will have three learning options for the 2021-22 academic year.
They can choose to attend classes in person five days a week, enroll in the district’s cyber academy, known as the Charleroi Area Online Academy, or they can be home schooled.
Hybrid learning won’t be an option this year.
The school will resume pre-COVID measures when it comes to social distancing in classrooms, cafeterias and transportation, as well as for indoor and outdoor events.
Under the plan, students and staff will not be required to wear masks during school, except when they’re using public transportation, including school buses or vans.
“We trust our staff and students to do what is best for them,” Zelich said. “Following guidelines established by the PDE and CDC we are comfortable with this. However, students and others will have to wear masks when using a school bus or van, which is a federal mandate that we are not able to get around.”
To read the rest of the story, please see a copy of Wednesday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at http://monvalleyindependent.com.
