ECASD to Remain Full Virtual Until January 11

Students in the Ellwood City Area School District will not be returning to the school buildings any time before January 11.

The District’s Board of Directors voted Thursday evening unanimously to continue virtual learning up to that date. The board and administrators will revisit Covid-19 numbers and community spread during the board’s January 7 meeting.

Until then, Acting Superintendent Dr. Wesley Shipley will work with administrators, teachers, and staff to develop a hybrid plan in the hopes for partial return to classes on January 11.

Shipley said he believes that is the best way to proceed for the safety and education of the students.

“County numbers not good, and they are not getting any better,” he said.

All administrators said they hope to see the students back to in-person learning as soon as possible.

“I miss the students in the building, but want to provide a safe learning environment,” said Dan Parson, principal at Northside Primary.

Lincoln High School’s Principal Kirk Lape asked the board, “How can we bring the kids back?”

“My challenge is how do we do this and the quicker the better.”

He was not alone in his expression of insistence in getting the students back in the building. Board Director Renee Pitrelli was adamant in her stance that the students should be back in the building before Christmas. She said each day matters when it comes to education and that there is no better instruction than in-person instruction.

Director Barbara Wilson agreed that in-person instruction is best, but insisted that health and safety of staff and students should not be compromised.

Just recently cafeteria staff were forced to quarantine as other local community schools including Beaver Falls, Lawrence County Vocational and Technical School, and Riverside stepped up to help provide food for area children John Dzurina, general manager of food services for ECASD, said his staff has since returned and are working harder than ever to continue to provide meals for area students.

Shipley and district principals said although most students are fully participating in virtual learning, there are those who are lagging behind.

“There are students logging in and not doing work or not logging in at all,” he said.

Frank Keally, principal at Perry Intermediate, said many students are excelling, but not all of them.

“We have a lot of kids doing really great work, but a few kids just not making any progress,” he said.

According to Keally, he along with his staff have been making a lot of attempts at communicating with the families of the students who are falling behind.

“We are going to be sending progress reports in the mail and we are hoping it reinforces that grades are real; they mean something; they matter; and this is a big deal.”

The administrators agreed on one thing: Parents and teachers are getting an A+ for effort, participation, and positivity.

Lape said his staff is giving it 100 percent.

I can’t ask my staff to do any more than they are currently doing,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of great instructional strategies virtually.”

Parson said he is proud of the teachers and the parents for their teamwork.

“The collaboration is great,” he said. “Teachers are being creative, and students are persevering.”

Leslie Gleghorn, director of special education, said that the special education students are getting the attention they need.

“We have had great turnout, parents are participating,” she said. “We’ve had wonderful participation in our IEP meetings and we are working hard to get students not engaged to get engaged.”