Avella Announces Reopening Plans

The Avella Area school board has approved its reopening plan with classes scheduled to begin Aug. 26. The board addressed several procedures needed for effectively reopening the schools under COVID-19.  Superintendent Cyril Walther expressed comfort in how the board has dealt with the situation. “I think it’s fluid now as information continues to change, and I think that’s going to happen throughout the school year”, Walther said. Although there will be an increase in spending for safety measures, Walther nonetheless felt that these precautions were justified. Such precautions include students mandatorily wearing masks, with the exception of being six feet apart in a classroom, and temperature checks for both students and staff members. Under a yellow phase, students will take online classes on certain days, but attend school on other days, according to their specific schedules. In a red phase, the school will resort to only online classes. However, students are welcome to attend online classes during the current green phase. As of now, the board is awaiting a final approval from the federal government in regards to funding. According to Business Manager Laura Schola, the schools could potentially receive a sum of $147,000. A safety committee meeting will occur on Aug. 13 to discuss any further updates or changes in regards to the reopening.