As the City of Pittsfield faces a spike in COVID-19 cases, Pittsfield Public Schools are adapting to keep the school community safe. As a precaution, amid the recent spike, students attending Pittsfield Schools will be continuing to learn remotely for several weeks ahead.

According to a media release from the office of Interim Pittsfield Schools Superintendent Joe Curtis, the Pittsfield Public Schools have closely monitored research, health metrics, and local community developments tied to coronavirus cases.

In mid-November, following notification that multiple members of the greater-City of Pittsfield community had tested positive for COVID-19, and\or were awaiting results of COVID-19 tests, the Pittsfield Public Schools, in consultation with the City of Pittsfield Board of Health, suspended all in-person learning at all schools within the district.

At that time, in-person learning within the Pittsfield Public Schools was tentatively suspended until Monday, December 7th - pending further monitoring of considerations associated with an anticipated return to hybrid learning\in-person learning.

Now, the Pittsfield Public Schools, in consultation with the City of Pittsfield Board of Health, have announced the extension of the suspension of in-person learning. All students attending the Pittsfield Public Schools will remain in all-remote learning, until data shows a decrease in cases over a two-week period that results in a percent positivity rate of 3% or less.

The Pittsfield Public Schools will be guided by local health metrics, and data tied to the community’s percent positivity rate, in all future decisions related to resuming in-person learning.

The specific information…

As of this past Friday, if health metrics began to show a development of a downward trend, in-person learning could conceivably resume no earlier than Friday, December 18th. However, while remaining hopeful, current data would indicate that students are unlikely to return to in-person education before the traditional holiday break which begins on December 23rd.

Middle and High School Principals today (Monday 12/7), are communicating a schedule enhancement for all secondary students that will begin next Thursday. They are also examining a more robust elementary schedule, and academic offerings, moving forward.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

In Pictures: What Education Looks Like Around the World During a Pandemic

 

More From WBEC AM