Pleasant Valley School District’s Superintendent Lee Lesisko updated the school board Thursday on participation in the online learning program.

Lesisko said that 98% of the students at the elementary school are attending classes daily, 90% of the intermediate students, 95% of the middle school students, and 85% of those in high school. He said participation fluctuates, so the numbers are fluid.

“Considering the situation that we are in and my experience with the Cyber Academy, this is good news,” he said. “I’m very happy that our students have adapted to online learning because of the COVID-19 virus.”

The district released its Continuity of Education Plan in late March, acclimated the teachers to online instruction, and began classes on April 3.

Kindergarten through third grade log into their classes through Seesaw, and grades four through 12 log in using Google Classroom. Attendance is taken through the logging in and daily participation in the designated program.

School board Director Laura Jecker asked if the credit recovery for students was working the same way it did in the winter. High school Principal Matthew Triolo answered that it is not. He said that they have contacted all seniors who were in danger of failing.

“We’re working with every one of those students on an individual basis,” he said.

The teachers, counselors and assistant principals called the students and their families. Plans are being worked for each student in regards to the specific course and where his or her grade stands. There are some students who refuse to participate, Triolo said.

“They’re just choosing not to do work for no reason that has to do with this current situation that we’re in,” he said. “Those will be students that we will provide summer school for in the summer.”

Summer school won’t take place in the school building, but it will use a curriculum in an online setting. Triolo said the school is working with families that are experiencing a hardship and the students will not be punished for the problem.

At this time, Triolo said summer school will be needed for a “handful of seniors” and for some underclassmen as well. No outside district students will be using the district’s summer school.

School Director Susan Kresge asked if the students will have to make up the first two weeks that classes were canceled in March. Mark Fitzgerald, the school board solicitor, said no, those weeks do not have to be made up because schools were closed due to the Act 13 order of Gov. Tom Wolf. The last day of school stands as June 1.

Triolo said there are several different options regarding graduation, but nothing has been set.

“I would like to do everything I can to have a live ceremony,” he said. “It probably means pushing it back to a further date, but we haven’t set anything in stone.”

Lesisko said it depends on what will be permitted by the state.

As for prom, Triolo said the school has spoken to The Palace where the prom was going to be held this upcoming weekend. They have secured May 30 as the date, but again, it depends on whether or not large gatherings will be permitted by then. He said students and the community will be notified the first week of May as to whether or not the prom will be held.

Jecker asked about the status of locker clean-out. Lesisko said they decided to wait until the beginning of May. Originally, they wanted to let students back into the building to get their belongings, but he doesn’t know if that will be possible. He said they may have to clean out the lockers themselves and place the students’ belongings in bags for them to pick up.

Information about locker clean-out, prom, awards ceremonies, and obtaining caps and gowns will be updated on the school district’s website. A financial aid webinar for families of students attending college in the fall will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. on April 30 by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Agency.

In other business, the school board accepted the resignation of Morgan Sterling, a reading specialist at the elementary school, effective at the end of the school year.

They also approved a resolution to not renew the employment of temporary professional employees. Director Susan Kresge said she reluctantly voted yes for it.

“My reluctancy is the fact that this was just put on this evening, and I feel that some staff should have been notified,” she said.