But Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine said this week that the state is not planning to order school shutdowns as it did when the pandemic emerged in March. the number of coronavirus cases accelerates, California residents do not sell my data request. Montgomery County School Delays, School Closings & Parking ... Now www.americantowns.com. Philly Labs Are Testing UK Travelers for Coronavirus Variant, Some Taxpayers Find Relief Payments Sent to Wrong Account, Copyright © 2021 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 2021 school district ratings, test scores, and statistics for public schools in Montgomery County. While all buildings will be closed to all visitors at County historic sites, outdoor areas at these sites and throughout the County Parks system will remain open according to normal schedule to visitors with guidelines established in the Governor’s order. Details about closure of schools, delayed openings, early dismissals, and more. Pennsylvania School Calendar 2020 and 2021 Please choose your school district in Pennsylvania from the list below to view a calendar of your 2019-2020 school holidays. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia PolicyLab this week called on schools around the region to return to virtual instruction, saying that, although schools haven’t appeared to be the source of most infections of children or staff, surging caseloads are increasing the risk of in-school transmission and complicating contact tracing efforts. The critical infrastructure that must stay open also includes gas stations and grocery stores. The Montgomery County Board of Health had been scheduled to vote on a proposed order mandating that all public and private K-12 schools in the … And the three state parks in the county have closed as well. With that in mind, we have made the difficult decision to heed the recommendation of state officials by closing Willow Grove Park Mall. The Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) supports the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s guidance for Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Case(s) of COVID-19. The Montgomery County Office of Public Health has voted for all schools, both private and public, to move to all-virtual learning for two weeks starting Nov. 23. Tom Wolf has ordered the closing of all schools in Montgomery County, as well as other public … As the coronavirus continued to spread Friday across southeastern Pennsylvania, Gov. Wolf also asked all non-essential retail stores to close, and some were quick to do so, including the stores at Willow Grove and Plymouth Meeting malls. Tom Wolf ordered. Montgomery County delays vote on closing schools in response to coronavirus surge after uproar from angry parents by Maddie Hanna , Updated: November 12, 2020 Students with face masks walk through the hallway at Nativity of Our Lord School in Warminster in September. How Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) reaches decisions about weather-related school closures, delays, and early dismissals. Unlike in the spring, as officials scrambled to respond to the pandemic and schools were forced to close en masse, “I see more thoughtful decisions,” said Alan Fegley, superintendent of the Phoenixville Area School District in Chester County, which was sticking Friday with its hybrid in-person and virtual offering. The schools that must close include all education facilities, including colleges and universities. Montgomery County on Lockdown: Governor Closes Schools, Gyms, Day Cares The highest number of positive tests for COVID-19 have come from Montgomery … For the 2020-21 school year, there are 157 public schools in Montgomery County, PA, serving 116,424 students. Schools in Montgomery County won’t open for traditional classes in the fall, but hundreds of elementary schoolchildren may be taking part in … If students, teachers, and staff return to the classroom the week after Thanksgiving, Arkoosh said Thursday, it “could trigger a very substantial outbreak within our schools.”, While the county order runs through Dec. 6, board chair Michael Laign said it was possible it could be extended — “whether it’s by the state or us, if we’re looking at the situation at the time … deciding to go beyond that.”. Garnet Valley, also in Delaware County, plans to remain open “unless mandated by the Health Department or the governor,” said superintendent Marc Bertrando. Hospitalizations have also been rising. Some districts have already been grappling with staffing shortages as employees are forced to quarantine because of exposure to positive cases — not necessarily in schools, but in the community. Wolf had previously announced mass closings first in Montgomery County and then in Delaware County. For the 2020-21 school year, there are 157 public schools in Montgomery County, PA, serving 116,424 students. Updated 12/22/2020. Assessment for Move to Virtual Education during COVID-19 Pandemic . Montgomery County officials went farther at a press conference later Thursday, saying they would not allow county permits for any mass gatherings outside or in temporary structures, such as outdoor parties. o One Montgomery Plaza, 425 Swede Street, Norristown, is closed to the public but open to employees. "These actions may seem severe," Wolf said, "but they are far less draconian than what we may have to do in the future if we don't act now.". MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) — Pennsylvania Gov. Those initial school closures had a ripple effect, prompting Philadelphia schools to close because many staff members lived in the county. He specifically mentioned that urgent care locations and pharmacies were among the places that would stay open. With the district offering both hybrid and virtual instruction, Bertrando said in some grade levels, so few students are attending school physically — at the high school, daily attendance is 117 out of 1,600 students — that buildings are already relatively empty. Action News and 6abc.com are Philadelphia's source for breaking news and live streaming video online, covering Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware. And, any state employee traveling in and out of Montgomery County is being directed to work from home. Members said that while they had heard parents' frustration, the shutdown was a proactive approach to a rapidly escalating problem. Full-day kindergarten will follow the regular education school schedule. “I am really ready to close the high school at almost any minute,” Klaus said. While all buildings will be closed to all visitors at County historic sites, outdoor areas at these sites and throughout the County Parks system will remain open according to normal schedule to visitors with guidelines established in the Governor’s order. All schools, universities, gyms, entertainment venues and community centers in the populous county just outside Philadelphia must close for two weeks starting Friday, Gov. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is ordering mass closings in Montgomery County in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the county. The order applies to both public and private schools, along with school sports and extracurricular activities. The Montgomery County office of public health said they will now vote Friday at 12 p.m. on whether to start two weeks of virtual-only school beginning Nov. 23. Schools to be closed include public K-12 schools, including brick and mortar and cyber charter schools, career and technical centers (CTCs), and intermediate units (IUs). Gov. Pennsylvania has recommended that schools in counties with “substantial” levels of transmission of the virus go back to virtual instruction. PennDOT said it would close all the driver license centers and photo license centers in Montgomery County. Staff writers Melanie Burney and Kristen A. Graham contributed to this article. Full coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak and how it impacts you. “We are so depopulated right now that going virtual has sort of happened by default,” said Bertrando, who said many students have chosen virtual instruction because of involvement in extracurricular activities — thinking there was “less of a chance they’d have to quarantine.”. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. Gov. Despite outcry from parents, the five-member board voted unanimously to impose the order, which directs schools to revert to virtual instruction. Thirteen of the state’s 22 identified coronavirus patients are residents of Montgomery County, one of the four collar counties ringing Philadelphia in the far southeastern corner of Pennsylvania. But we do not have the authority to make schools open," Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, Montgomery County Commissioner, said last week. Stephanie Stahl reports. Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, asked businesses to offer paid sick time during the outbreak of the new coronavirus, and asked them to let workers work at home. Montgomery County Public Schools officials have now announced schools are closed today because of emergency weather conditions. For schools in counties with “substantial” transmission — at this point, a category that includes almost all of Pennsylvania — a building with fewer than 500 students that records five or more COVID cases over 14 days is recommended to close for two weeks. Check frequently for updated information on school delays, early dismissals, school closings, and school cancellations in Montgomery County Pennsylvania due to winter and inclement weather, as well as other emergencies related to Montgomery County & the surrounding County PA area. o One Montgomery Plaza, 425 Swede Street, Norristown, is closed to the public but open to employees. All state-licensed day cares also must close for two weeks. Jury trials -- criminal and civil -- and jury duty in the county are canceled through March 27, according to a memo from the county court system. The latest information can be found at, ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer, Why CHOP lab recommends Philly-area schools close amid coronavirus surge, Citing surge in COVID-19, Philly schools reverse reopening plan; will continue virtual instruction until further notice. Officials said they were concerned the situation would only worsen around Thanksgiving. In Delaware County, a spokesperson for the Radnor School District, where students are attending school in a hybrid in-person and virtual model, said the district was taking its cues from the Chester County Health Department and not planning to change course. At that time, schools in Montgomery County, the early epicenter of outbreaks in the Philadelphia region, were the first in the state to be ordered closed. “If we don’t do this, we will be in a significantly worse situation post-Thanksgiving holiday,” said Barbara Wadsworth, a board member who is senior vice president of patient services and chief nursing officer at Main Line Health. NBC10 reporter Deanna Durante attended a press conference Thursday held by county officials. Massive shutdown of Montgomery County shows us what to expect across Pennsylvania Your schools, stores and theaters will be closed if the governor's first response is any indication. But don't worry, we update this page regularly so you'll be the first to know if your school is closing or will have delays due to bad weather. Montgomery County Guidance for Reopening for Pre-K to 12 Schools As Montgomery County Pre-K to 12 schools start to plan for the upcoming 2020-21 school year while dealing with on-going COVID-19 pandemic, Montgomery ... used by a sick person should be closed … Gov. Pennsylvania Gov. As of Friday morning, 17 of the 28 positive COVID-19 cases were in Montgomery County, including a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia doctor and a Lower Providence police officer. Some say they’re staying put. Mass transit will also stay open, though Amtrak service from the Ardmore train station will stop for two weeks, and Amtrak will reduce its schedule in the county starting tomorrow. At the time of this writing, Montgomery County has thus far closed schools, but nothing else. In Phoenixville, Fegley said he expected some impact on staffing as a result of the Montgomery County order, but wasn’t sure how significant it would be. This time, however, Philadelphia schools are already closed for in-person instruction, with no set return date. Weather Decisions; School Closings and Other Emergency Procedures. Other schools also said they weren’t backing off in-person instruction. Thirteen of the state’s 22 identified coronavirus patients are residents of Montgomery County, one of the four collar counties ringing Philadelphia in the … Jury trials -- criminal and civil -- and jury duty in the county are canceled through March 27, according to a memo from the county court system, though essential government services will continue. The decision came as the number of coronavirus cases accelerates in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. At that time, schools in Montgomery County, the early epicenter of outbreaks in the Philadelphia region, were the first in the state to be ordered closed. Find out quickly below if snow, cold or other weather emergencies is causing winter snow delays or closings at your school … (left to right) Jessica Bradbury and Emma Bradbury, 7, of Lower Providence Township, Elyse Singer, 3, Jennifer Singer, Abby Singer, 8, and Kayla Singer, 11, of Montgomery Township, gathered outside the Wyndmoor home of Montgomery County Commissioners Chair Val Arkoosh Sunday to protest the county's decision to close all K-12 schools for two weeks beginning Nov. 23. Superintendent Charles Klaus told the school board Thursday night that the district has had 12 confirmed virus cases in 14 days, and that 136 high school students have been told to stay home because of close contact with someone at school who tested positive. Wolf urged good hygiene throughout the state as Pennsylvania tries to stop the spread of the virus. If the school year is disrupted by emergencies and schools are closed three or more days, dates in 2020 identified as possible make-up instructional days include: June 16-22, April 6, April 7 and January 27. So far, other counties in the region have not indicated they intend to impose similar orders. 2020-2021 calendars are being added as they become available. Montgomery County, PA public schools have an average math proficiency score of 57% A spokesperson for Chester County — where the health department also serves Delaware County — said Friday there was “no change” in the county’s guidance to schools. Tom Wolf ordered the closure of all schools, universities, gyms, entertainment venues and community centers in Montgomery County starting Friday. "My advice to our business community is to work from home now or risk not being operational later, due to employees becoming exposed or ill," Arkoosh said. Kindergarten teacher Molly Colbridge speaks to students at Discovery Charter School in Philadelphia at the start of the school year. Pennsylvania Gov. In the Neshaminy School District in Bucks County, "at this time, we are not changing our plan,” said spokesperson Chris Stanley. In other school districts, like South Jersey’s Haddonfield, large numbers of students are quarantining. Drastic measures are being taken to curtail the spread of the new coronavirus in Montgomery County after it became the epicenter for COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania. Action News and 6abc.com are Philadelphia's source for breaking news and live streaming video online, covering Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware. We are working to make by appointment services available and will post details as soon as they are available. As of Friday night, at least 46,000 schools nationwide had been closed or were scheduled to close, affecting at least 21 million students, according to Education Week. All rights reserved, epicenter for COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania. Val Arkoosh, a physician who is chairperson of the county commissioners, said Thursday county hospitals were treating 171 patients with the coronavirus — up 70 people from a week earlier, and up 100 from two weeks before. Some say they’re staying put. Among them are Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. Mar 12, 2020 at 6:52 PM. But Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine said this week that the state is not planning to order school shutdowns as it did when the pandemic emerged in March. Also Thursday, Arkoosh detailed the four newest cases of the new coronavirus in Montgomery County: a 35-year-old man who lives in Skippack, a 58-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman who live together in Lower Merion and a 58 year old woman who lives in Conshohocken. 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