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Despite the pandemic, some area schools have had in-person learning all year

There is a push nationwide to get teachers and students back into their classrooms, but many districts in our area have been in school in person since last fall.

CATAWISSA, Pa. — Southern Columbia Area School District serves around 1,300 students in Columbia and Northumberland Counties. While many schools across the country have been virtual since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, some schools in our area brought students back inside the classroom last fall. That includes Southern Columbia.

"Overall, it's worked, and that's because of the people here day in and day out making it work," said Southern Columbia Superintendent James Becker.

Becker says teachers and students have been back inside the classroom for months. Students have the option to attend in person five days a week or virtually.

Becker says that while most elementary school students are here in person, a large number of students in the middle and high schools are still going to school virtually.

"The high school kids do better with the remote learning than the younger kids."

But Becker says as COVID-19 numbers improve in Columbia and Northumberland Counties, more students are coming back to in-person classes.

"We have great collaboration with other schools. We're bouncing ideas off of each other, what works, what doesn't work, and keeping an eye on our COVID numbers."

According to Becker, a lot of extra cleaning, masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing have made it possible to be back at school. There have been COVID-19 cases and times where the district has had to go virtual for a few days.

"It's almost day by day, and some days we think, 'Are the numbers going to increase that we have to close down?'" Becker said. "We had to a few times in both buildings, but we've been very fortunate."

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