Dear North Allegheny School District Parents/Guardians,
The North Allegheny School District began planning for the 2021-2022 school year with various stakeholders in February. Throughout this process, the committee reflected on the desire from our community to consistently provide in-person instruction in a safe environment. The main goal of our Back to School Planning Committee was to maximize in-person learning while providing a safe environment for students and staff. The committee created a plan using this goal to guide all decisions. The Back to School Plan was approved unanimously by the NASD Board of School Directors in June.
Earlier this summer, we were hopeful that the upcoming school year would be less impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. While we remained optimistic for a traditional return to school, the District reinforced the possibility of changing our plan based on current conditions.
We are over one week away from the start of the school year and a change to our plan is necessary.
In order to honor the commitment to five days of in-person instruction and the need for our students to return to school to a safe environment with as few interruptions as possible, NASD will require face coverings indoors for students, staff, and visitors for grades K-12 beginning Monday, August 16.
This decision to consider universal masking is a result of several factors:
- Analyzing COVID-19 data from last school year, as well as county and community statistics over the past month.
- Consultation with the Allegheny County Health Department and District Physician.
- Changes in the quarantine procedures that would negatively impact our ability to ensure consistent in-person instruction for all students.
Next week, an update to the District’s Back to School plan will be shared during the NASD Board of School Directors meeting. The draft presentation for Wednesday night, which includes the rationale for this change and other updates to the Health & Safety Plan,
can be found here.
As a school community, we have worked through many challenges over the last 18 months and we will continue to do so, together. Ensuring students are at school for in-person learning remains our top priority as we begin the 2021-2022 school year. We understand and recognize that there are varying opinions within our community regarding mitigation strategies. One common theme is that we all want the same thing: a high-quality educational experience in an environment that is safe and welcoming for all students, staff, and families.
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming our students and staff back over the next week.
Sincerely,
Melissa R. Friez, Ed.D.
Superintendent
