Coronavirus Coverage: Pittsburgh Public Schools Prepares To Navigate Safely Reopening Schools In The Fall
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh Public Schools is preparing to navigate reopening schools safely in the fall.
Scott Haney and his family just moved to Pittsburgh from Kansas City, Missouri, and he's eager to enroll his son, Arlo, in kindergarten at Colfax Elementary in the fall.
He prefers that schooling takes place in a physical classroom.
"We're just getting the ball rolling. He's just learning to read, just getting started, just getting acclimated to the community. It would be a loss if we didn't have that available," he Haney.
Pittsburgh Public Schools has been teaching online and distributing laptops to students, as well as work packets.
And the district has been planning to continue distance learning in the fall, but Pennsylvania Education Secretary Pedro Rivera said this week that he expects schools to reopen in the fall.
"We are working to open schools come fall. ... It is fully our intent that we are going to be in a place where we are going to open schools for students when they return in the next academic year," Rivera said.
Rivera says the state will be giving school districts guidance on how to reopen in the coming weeks, and school board president Sylvia Wilson says she's been in touch with districts across the country about their plans.
"Whether they will have every other day for some kids, morning sessions versus afternoon sessions. How will they expand the classroom so there's a lot of space? And then comes the big issue of how do you transport the kids?" Wilson said.
The plan now is to reopen all schools with safeguards.
Districts are going to have to do this with less tax revenue.
Pittsburgh Public Schools says it is projecting a loss of up to $82 million in local revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.
That would necessitate the layoff of staff and teachers, Wilson said.
