Mars Area Centennial School will be closed, beginning at the end of the school day  on Thursday, April 29, and continuing through Friday, April 30.

On Thursday, April 29, Mars Area School District was informed that two (2) Mars Area Centennial School students are quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19. This case brings the total number of active positive cases at the Centennial School to two (2).

In accordance with Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) guidelines, which establish the minimum number of active COVID cases that require a building to close based upon the school’s enrollment, Mars Area School District is required to close Mars Area Centennial School for 1-2 days, while the building undergoes a deep cleaning.

Note: As Mars Area Centennial School is considered a “small school” (less than 500 students), it is required that the school close for a 1-2 days when 2-4 positive cases are reported or for a minimum of 5 days with 5 or more positive cases, while the building is thoroughly cleaned. School closures are based upon a “rolling 14-day period,” which, as defined by PDE, begins with the date of the first positive case in each building.

In addition, in regards to one (1) of the positive cases at Mars Area Centennial School, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) is in the process of conducting contact tracing and will be notifying any individual who may have been in close contact (within six feet for at least 15 minutes) with the student who tested positive for COVID-19. Any such individuals will be required to quarantine at home for a minimum of 14 days. Any students, who are determined to have been a close contact, will also receive a separate communication from the school, noting the specific dates during which they must quarantine as well as the date that they may return to Traditional Instruction.

With the remaining one (1) case at Mars Area Centennial School, as per the health officials recommendations, no additional quarantines and/or contact tracing are required at this time. Should those recommendations change; the Mars Area School District will communicate that information in a timely manner.

To prepare for this building closure, we also ask that you please note the following:

Switch to LSI Instruction — During the building closure, all Mars Area Centennial School students, who have attending school for Traditional Instruction, will need to switch to Live-Stream Interactive (LSI) Instruction through which teachers will facilitate instruction from home on a period-by-period basis. Note: Building administrators, paraprofessionals and support staff members will be temporarily relocated to other schools, while custodial crews clean the building.

Technology — Students, who do not have access to a personal technology device, may be provided with a District-issue device, free of charge, during the closure period only. Those devices must be returned to the school immediately upon the students’ return to the traditional setting. Please be advised that any damages to the device are subject to repair or replacement costs being incurred by the parent/guardian. To obtain a device, contact the Mars Help Desk at [email protected].

Food Services — During the building closure, the District will continue to offer free meals for students and anyone in a student's household who is under age 18. To arrange for meal pick-up, contact Bridget Buyna, Food Service Director, at (724) 625-1988 or [email protected].

Mars Area Centennial School students may return to participate in Traditional Instruction on Monday, May 3, pending the District’s review of the school’s COVID numbers at that time. (Note: Once a school has undergone a deep cleaning, the total number of active positive cases at that school revert to zero (0), beginning with the first day that students and staff return.) 

For more information, call (724) 625-2601.