State College to reopen for in-person learning; contact sports may resume competition
After operating remotely for most of September, the State College Area School District will reopen for in-person learning.
Superintendent Bob O’Donnell notified families in a districtwide email sent Thursday that the district will continue in-person learning Monday — a decision supported unanimously by the school health and safety team due to low incidence rates in the community beyond the college-age population.
The health and safety team, which includes physicians, epidemiologists and nurses, considered the following data:
- Since Sept. 1, Geisinger Health System data shows a 3% positivity rate from its 434 tests of people in the district ZIP codes. Out of 13 total positive cases, two were under the age of 18, and eight were 18-24 years of age.
- Since Aug. 26, data from Mount Nittany Health, which includes Penn State Health, shows a 1.1% positivity rate from its 2,598 tests of people in the district ZIP codes. Out of 29 total positive cases, four were under the age of 16, and 18 were 16-25 years of age.
- Since Penn State began random testing of employees, there has been only one case reported out of 700 tests.
- The trend of our countywide seven-day case average has been decreasing.
- One positive case has occurred from among the approximately 2,100 students and employees of preschools, daycare centers, and private and charter schools who have continued to attend school on a daily basis since Aug. 26.
Returning to in-person school means that contact sports such as football, soccer, field hockey and volleyball may resume competition against other teams next week. Football players must continue learning remotely due to high-level contact made while playing.
SCASD has enhanced its safety protocols and will begin to randomly screen students and employees with temperature checks once school reopens. Employees will also participate in random COVID-19 testing.
If children show any symptoms of illness, the district asks them to stay home, and families are encouraged to conduct daily health screenings before coming to school.
“While I am pleased students will return to buildings, this was still a difficult decision,” O’Donnell wrote. “Keep in mind, for this plan to work, our entire community must stay vigilant and abide by the safety measures in place to contain the spread of the virus. That is, please wear a mask, wash your hands frequently and physically distance as necessary.”
O’Donnell said he hopes to keep students and staff in school for as long as possible, but decisions will continue to be made on a week-by-week basis.
“Whether students are learning remotely or in-person, I’m confident our faculty and staff will be providing valuable learning experiences next week,” he wrote.
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 5:34 PM.
