The Altoona Area School District has temporarily laid off more than 60 employees as a result of shifting to a full virtual model.

On Monday, the school board approved the option for 64 special education aides to accept a voluntary furlough — 48 to begin the leave today, with 16 to begin on Dec. 22.

Aides are tentatively set to return on Feb. 1, though the district says that could be sooner or could extend until the end of this school year depending on the impact of the pandemic.

In its written decision, the board said the action is a result of “a change in program delivery model” and “also takes into consideration reasons of economy and efficiency due to a lack of work due to the current educational delivery model.”

Employees who agreed to be furloughed are eligible for unemployment, according to the district. Their seniority within the district will not be affected, however, they will not have collective bargaining rights during the layoff.

The district has worked with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO Local 2952, to offer alternative work options for those not wanting to be laid off, according to the written decision. Employees were given the option of the furlough or to continue working in other areas like cleaning, technology/help desk or homework hotline, having had to make the decision on Dec. 3.

In other business, during the board’s reorganizational portion, Sharon Bream was reelected president of the board and Frank Meloy was reelected vice president.

Mirror Staff Writer Dom Cuzzolina is at 814-946-7428.