Pittsfield Public Schools Return to Remote Learning
Pittsfield Public Schools sent out the following announcement this afternoon:
The Pittsfield Public Schools have closely monitored, and planned for, the potential arrival of coronavirus cases within our school community, and we wish to share important information about our response, as well as ask for your partnership in helping prevent the spread of this, and other, illnesses.
Following notification that multiple members of the greater-City of Pittsfield community have tested positive for COVID-19, and\or are awaiting results of recent COVID-19 tests, the Pittsfield Public Schools, in consultation with the City of Pittsfield Board of Health, have made the decision to suspend all in-person learning at all schools within the district.
The recent spikes within the City of Pittsfield do not include cases involving student-to-student, staff-to-staff, or student-to-staff interactions within our school buildings. Procedures in place within school buildings to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus have successfully been implemented and will continue. Data shows that the recent uptick in Pittsfield’s COVID-19 cases directly relates to large gatherings that have taken place in recent weeks within the community.
The pause of in-person learning allows time to further assess data with the goal of resuming in-person learning as soon as we can confidently and safely deliver it.
The Pittsfield Public Schools, in consultation with the City of Pittsfield Board of Health, will require all students attending the Pittsfield Public Schools transition to all-remote learning beginning Friday, November 13th. Current elementary, middle, and high school schedules will be followed.
At this time, remote learning within the Pittsfield Public Schools is scheduled to continue through Friday, December 4th, with anticipated hybrid learning beginning Monday, December 7th.
While recognizing that the suspension of in-person education certainly continues to add to the challenges that families, students, schools, and communities have been presented with during the COVID-19 era, the health and safety of our students and staff remain at the forefront of all considerations. As we continue to re-envision the academic experiences of our student body and staff during these unprecedented times, we are grateful for the understanding and resiliency associated with adjusting to modifications to how education is delivered.
Part of the rationale associated with the temporary suspension of in-person education takes into consideration the timeline related to recent community events, virus incubation period, the experiencing of symptoms, contact tracing, and the test result turnaround time, lead to the currently established suspension period for in-person education. This pause in in-person learning allows time to further assess data with the goal of resuming in-person learning as soon as we can confidently and safely deliver it.
Upon continued monitoring of community health metrics over the next few weeks, additional decisions will be made, and announced, regarding plans to potentially resume in-person education. Additional information will be provided to the entire educational community in the coming days.
Meals are available tomorrow to children 18 and under. Meals can be picked up between 11:45-12:15 at the following sites:
Conte Community School
Morningside Community School
Allendale Elementary School
Egremont Elementary School
Additional releases of information will be forthcoming.
The ongoing commitment, perseverance, and sacrifice that our students, families, and staff are making to facilitate education in Pittsfield will provide our students the necessary resources to succeed during – and after – the COVID-19 era.