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CALCUTTA -- Beaver Local is going to remote learning for two days heading into the Christmas break in the hopes the extra time will work to its benefit when the school district resumes in-person classes on Jan. 4.
Beaver Local's Christmas break is scheduled to begin Dec. 23 and run through Jan. 3. Superintendent Eric Lowe made the decision late last week to have all students learn online from home on Dec. 21-22 because doing this gives in-person students and staff a longer break at a time when the number of COVID-19 virus cases have been increasing.
"These couple of days before the break allow us to have a 16-day break from school contact with the majority of our students. This is the thing we did at Thanksgiving based on some of our discussions with the Columbiana County Health Department at the time," he said,
Thanksgiving break began on Wednesday that week, and Lowe decided to require all students learn from home that Monday and Tuesday to buy more time against the virus and to test the remote learning program with full participation. Other than these two days and the two days of remote learning scheduled for next week, Beaver Local has continued with in-person classes at the school since the school year began in September.
Every school district in the county gave parents the option of having their children return to traditional in-person learning this fall or remain at home and continue learning online like everyone had during the last two and a half months of the 2019-20 school year. About 80 percent of Beaver Local parents have chosen to send their children back to school.
Lowe said the additional two days of remote learning has the added benefit of further familiarizing staff and in-school students with the online program should they be forced to go all-remote at some point.
According to the Beaver Local's website, 10 staff and 25 students have tested positive since the start of school. Of the 35 cases, 14 have been since Dec. 3.
Lowe said school superintendents will continue to meet with each other and the health department over Christmas break "to examine the data associated with the pandemic and make decisions about school, as we see how the holidays impact our community."
tgiambroni@mojonews.com