North Hills Sets Hybrid Instruction Return Date

ROSS TOWNSHIP, PA —The North Hills School District plans to resume hybrid instruction on Jan. 11, one week after the state's latest coronavirus mitigation measures expire. The district will remain in the virtual mode through Jan. 8, district officials announced.

The district also is temporarily suspending the winter sports season amid the restrictions announced Thursday by Gov. Tom Wolf.

The restrictions, which prohibit all K-12 school and youth sports including games and practices, go into effect on Saturday and expire Jan. 4.

All district sports practices and games are canceled during this three-week time period.

In-person school-sponsored extracurricular activities are also prohibited during this time but the district did not have any such events scheduled.

This shift to virtual instruction resulted from the current surge in COVID-19 cases in the community. Allegheny County's Community Transmission Level as defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Health is substantial. When substantial, virtual is the recommended operational model.

The Community Transmission Level metric weighs two factors from the most recent seven day period; the incidence rate per 100,000 residents and percent positivity rate. The two statistics together lead to a county’s transmission rate, which can be low, moderate or substantial.