Frequently Asked Questions

We appreciate the patience and understanding of our community as we navigate this unprecedented situation. Throughout the process, we want to be sure that we are keeping you informed and answering your questions to the best of our ability. Below you'll find a running list of frequently asked questions. Please use this as your initial resource before reaching out to the district with any questions you may have of your own. 

We encourage you to check this page often for any updates.

FAQs on WASD's Response to the COVID-19 School Closure


Last update: April 18, 2020 — 8:56 a.m.

How long will schools be closed? 

Update: By the order of Gov. Tom Wolf, all schools in the Commonwealth will remain CLOSED through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. to help stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) across the Commonwealth. This means all of our campuses and buildings are closed to the public and non-essential employees. The Tax Office will remain closed to the public until further notice. For contact information, please visit the Tax Office website by clicking here.


Will these days when schools are closed due to COVID-19 need to be made up?  

We have received direction from the governor of Pennsylvania that suggests schools will not be penalized if they fail to meet the 180-day requirement. 

 

Will the last day of school remain the same for students (June 3)?             
Yes. Gov. Wolf stated schools will remain closed as it is defined by the local school calendar.  With this direction and in consultation with our Board of Education, the district will not add student days to the school year and will keep in place its approved calendar, which makes June 3, 2020, the last school day for students. 

 

What is the school district doing to provide food assistance to students/families?  

The district is providing free bagged lunches and breakfasts for all students 18 years of age and under from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. 

For complete details of this program, click here

Thanks to the generosity of our community, alternative meal options also are available for free at a number of businesses and organizations. For the most up-to-date and comprehensive listing of locations providing free meals, click here


Can I volunteer to help distribute food or donate food?  

We are so grateful for these offers of help and assistance. At this time, volunteers are not needed for food distribution. We are fortunate to have adequate staffing in place to support our families. In addition, in order for us to maintain the social distancing necessary, we will operate with as few individuals on campuses as possible.  


Will the district move to online learning?  

The district’s curriculum team, along with building principals, have reviewed and compiled enrichment and review options made available to you hereWe strongly encourage families to use these resources to maintain, continue and enrich their children’s learning while schools remain closed. The available resources will offer online enrichment and review to maintain student engagement in learning. Online resources will provide practice for students to become more secure in standards and skills that were previously taught.

The Williamsport Area School District administration is working diligently to launch its Continuity of Education planBeginning April 13, our teachers will begin to virtually provide more guided structure to student learning on a daily basis. For families in need of a device to access our online learning platform, click here for information on our distribution of devices plan for the week of April 6. 

Finally, WASD believes the best instruction is classroom instruction in our schools. We miss our students and hope we will all be back in our classrooms soon.


What about school events and activities? 

All school events, activities, performances and athletics (on-site or off-site) are suspended or cancelled until further notice. 


What about kindergarten and new student registration?  

Kindergarten and new student registration week (originally March 23-27) has been cancelled. If you have a computer and Internet access at home, the online portion can still be completed for all new and incoming kindergarten students. No appointments will be scheduled until the district reopens.


Is the district doing any deep-cleaning/sanitizing of buildings, buses, etc., during the closure? 

Yes. We’re continuing an elevated cleaning protocol in our schools, buses and offices to minimize the risk, with extra attention paid to more high-touch/high-traffic areas, such as bathrooms, doorknobs, desktops and keyboards. We’re also reminding our essential employees to exercise healthy hygiene and hand-washing. 


Will this closure affect the school calendar with regard to upcoming field trips, competitions, activities, performances, spring break, graduation, prom, parent-teacher conferences, etc.?  

We have received many questions of what will happen after this closure, which is difficult to know or project. The district has consciously cancelled student travel, field trips, and most events for the months of March and April. Beyond that, it is too soon to make any predictions. Please be reminded that events are evolving rapidly, and we encourage you to check the district’s website.

For questions relating to how this may impact the WAHS Class of 2020, visit our dedicated FAQ page here.

 
How will this closure affect parent-teacher conferences and spring break?            
The district has cancelled this school year's spring parent-teacher conferences originally scheduled for April 7 and 8. Because the district will begin offering online education beginning April 13, spring break for students will now only consist of Thursday, April 9, and Friday, April 10.
 
What does this mean for the end of the third marking period?             
The district has elected to end the third marking period on the same day as the original school closure date of Friday, March 13. The extended school closure has taken the district beyond the third marking period closure date of March 20. To ensure the utmost fairness to students, we are asking teachers to be flexible when calculating grades for the end of that quarter. We're also asking our teachers to use their best professional judgement that is beneficial to the student and adjust for work/assessments that students did not have the ability to complete or make up.