On August 14, 2020, the PA Department of Health (PDH) and the PA Department of Education (PDE) provided recommendations to school leaders for responding to confirmed cases of COVID-19 among students or staff. The recommendations are based on the level of community transmission and number of cases over a 14-day period.

The recommendations are as follows:

• One (1) Case: Areas where the infected person spent time should be cleaned.
• Two (2) to Four (4) Cases in the Same School Building: The building should close for three (3) to seven (7) days, depending on the level of community transmission in the county in which the school is located. Areas where the infected people spent time should be cleaned.
• Five (5) or More Cases in the Same School Building: The school should close for 14 days, and the entire building should be cleaned.

When an entire school is recommended to close, lengths of closure time will vary by level of community transmission and number of cases. This allows public health staff the necessary time to complete case investigations and contact tracing, and to provide schools with other appropriate public health advice like cleaning and disinfecting. Regardless of the number of cases, schools are advised to engage in contact tracing.

If there is a substantial level of community transmission, it is recommended that schools shut down and use a fully remote instructional model.

State officials are expressing a willingness to work with school officials to advise regarding cleaning, contact tracing, quarantining, and closure determinations.

A chart for determining the actions to take can be found on the PDE website by clicking here.

On August 12, 2020, all PA school superintendents and chief school administrators received via Penn*Link a letter from Patricia M. Allan, Executive Director of the PA Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The letter informs recipients that the Pennsylvania ACT 84 of 2015 requires that public and nonpublic schools receive electronic notice of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) on an annual basis no later than August 15.

CHIP covers uninsured kids and teens up to age 19 – and no family earns too much to qualify. CHIP provides quality, comprehensive health insurance for routine doctor visits, prescriptions, dental, eye care, eyeglasses, mental health and much more. CHIP covers uninsured kids who are not eligible for Medical Assistance. For most families, CHIP is free – for others, it is low cost.

Letter recipients were advised that a CHIP Notice flyer was created and should be shared with every parent or guardian of every student enrolled in the district during the school year. Recipients were also advised to send the electronic notice of the CHIP Notice flyer to each school under their jurisdiction at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year through email or with other information that is being sent as parent packets or prepared for students to take home.

The flyer can be found on the PAPSA website by clicking here, the letter can be found on the PAPSA website by clicking here, and more information and resources can be found on the CHIP website at www.CHIPcoversPAkids.com.

With students soon due to head back to school, the House Education Committee convened a two-day hearing to gather testimony from a variety of education advocates and organizations about the challenges of safely reopening schools this fall. The hearing was held on August 4th and 5th.
Among the many issues discussed during the hearing were access to sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment for teachers and staff to change frequently throughout the day; availability of school nurses; liability protections; increased demand for cyber schooling; and ensuring the safety and quality of education for students with special needs.
The committee also heard suggestions for policies to support public schools and students, such as permanent mandate waivers, improved broadband internet access, increased funding for transportation, postponing new state graduation requirements, and requiring clear and detailed quarantine protocols and contact tracing in the event a student or staff member tests positive.
The hearing featured testifiers from the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools, Alliance of Approved Private Schools, PA Cyber Charter School, Agora Cyber Charter School, the ARC of PA, the Association of School Nurses and Practitioners, Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), PA Association of School Administrators (PASA), PA Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), and PA State Education Association (PSEA).
The hearing can be watched in its entirety by clicking here.