The Pleasant Valley School District received a waiver from the state Department of Education regarding the number of days it has to close a school in the event six to 10 people test positive for COVID-19.

Superintendent Lee Lesisko sent out an announcement to parents on Thursday and spoke about the waiver at the school board meeting that evening.

Lesisko said he sent a communication to Matthew Stem, the deputy secretary of Education for DOE, and asked for the variance.

“This is epic and will allow us to keep our schools open,” he said. “This will make it nicer for the parents.”

Lesisko explained in an interview how it works.

If the school district were to have a group of people come down with the virus, then they would move to remote learning on Friday, and deep clean, disinfect and do contract tracing that day and the weekend. Classes would resume as normal on Monday.

“This will offer the greatest chances of maximizing the number of days that we can keep our buildings open,” he said. “We want kids in school.”

Also in the public announcement, Lesisko said students at the high school now have the opportunity to eat lunch in the stadium on sunny days. They have to continue practicing social distancing while in the stadium.

“I am sure today was an awesome day to be outside,” he said about the warm, sunny day on Thursday.

At the middle school, the Flex Ed pilot program has launched, and the district has received much positive feedback from staff, students and parents.

The intermediate and elementary schools have now implemented live instruction.

“This is what parents were asking for, and I am happy that we were able to deliver,” Lesisko said. “Because of COVID, I truly believe the way we deliver instruction will be forever changed.”