Monday will be permitted to again reopen their doors to students after a two-week closure." width="700" height="525" />
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Schools in Montgomery County will be allowed to reopen to in-person education on Monday following a two-week closure.
County Commissioner Dr. Valerie Arkoosh on Wednesday announced the two-week closure, intended to mitigate the spread of the virus, had not been extended, meaning schools will not be required to reopen but, rather, gives them the option of returning to in-person or hybrid learning models.
The decision to temporarily close schools, she said, was made amid several reports of schools experiencing staffing shortages.
In early November, county officials noted more than 100 school staff members across the county were unable to come into work due to a positive test.
"For the school door to open each day for students, there must be teachers, support staff, custodians, cafeteria workers and bus drivers," She said. "It’s not just a matter of students getting back into classrooms, it’s making sure that there is the staff there to teach them and make sure their school building is safe and secure."
The county's board of health voted unanimously to close schools on Nov. 11 after saying they were "extremely concerned" about a number of outbreaks among students connected to Halloween gatherings. Health experts estimated cases would similarly rise immediately following Thanksgiving.
A delay in testing and results made it difficult to know as of Wednesday whether outbreaks had resulted from the holiday, Arkoosh said.
On Wednesday, the commissioner said she hopes the closure can help prevent further impacts on schools.
"I have publically said a number of times that I agree with parents that the best place for students is in the classroom with in-person teaching," Arkoosh said in a news conference. "The decisions the board of health made were with the goal of making it more possible for as many schools as wanted to be open here in Montgomery County."
Upper Moreland schools on Wednesday announced it has extended remote learning another week amid fears more cases of the virus are to come following Thanksgiving.
"This was not an easy decision and one that was not taken lightly," school administration said in a letter to parents. "As always, our decisions are based upon avoiding disruptions in learning with potential school closures based upon the new PDE COVID-19 guidance."
Arkoosh issued a simple plea to the community as it faced another dangerous surge in the virus: "we are all in this together."
"The decisions that each person makes regarding personal conduct — whether or not they wear a mask, whether or not they attend a social gathering, whether or not they answer a phone when a contact tracer calls — impact all of us," she said. "The choices that each of us makes over the next several weeks will have direct impacts on our hospitals and our schools."
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