PITTSBURGH -- The North Hills School District will remain fully virtual for the rest of December and for the first week in January. Students will not return to school in the Hybrid operational model as scheduled next week and should instead join their classes remotely on all school days through Tuesday, Dec. 22, the last school day before winter break begins. Students will also attend remotely after the holiday, Monday, Jan. 4 through Friday, Jan. 8. Hybrid will resume on Monday, Jan. 11.
This decision to remain Virtual was difficult and not one that was made lightly. There are no right answers or easy decisions. We are just trying to do what’s best to keep our students and staff safe as cases continue to climb in Ross Township and West View, while maintaining academic continuity with as little disruption as possible.
The high case count and resulting delays in reporting from the Allegheny County Health Department is also making it increasingly difficult for us to maintain an accurate district case count.
Additionally, quarantine guidelines are changing and remaining fully remote will allow us to gain a better understanding of what these changes mean for us as we move into the new year.
Expectations during Virtual
During these next few weeks and through Jan. 8, our primary focus is maintaining the best possible educational experience in the virtual environment. We are committed to improving the quality of the remote educational experience for our students and as such, attendance during live Zoom sessions is now required for secondary students (grades 6-12) and all students will be asked to keep their cameras on when in attendance. Additional details will be discussed at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
Additional information regarding curbside meal pickup and bundle options is forthcoming and will be communicated as soon as possible.
Commitment to Return to In-Person Instruction
NHSD is committed to returning to Hybrid instruction on Jan. 11. We anticipate Allegheny County will still be substantial for community transmission as defined by PDE and as such, when Hybrid resumes, we will abide by the state’s new mandated guidance released late last month.
We will keep track of the number of cases in each school building over the most recent 14-day period and follow the state guidance.
We will also submit a new attestation form to PDE as required stating we will follow both the new face coverings mandate (effective Nov. 18) and the Pre-K-12 mandated guidance above (effective Nov. 23).
The attestation form submitted to PDE last week for our virtual operational model can be found here.
NHSD COVID-19 Cases
While we remain virtual, please continue to report all positive and presumptive positive COVID-19 cases to your school principal and/or nurse. This will allow us to continue to monitor case counts across the district. Visit our website for complete guidance.
Refer to our COVID-19 tracker for the most current case information. This tracker will be updated daily as new cases are reported to us. We will email updates and post on social media every few days as necessary.