Montgomery County health officials recently voted to close all schools in the county due to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the country and Pennsylvania. Starting on November 23, all school districts will have to return to 100% virtual learning until December 6. Students will be able to return on Monday, December 7. In Pennsylvania alone, almost 30,000 new cases have been reported in the past week, and overall, the state has seen an increase in cases among younger people. Although both mask-wearing and social distancing have helped with keeping cases down, many of the newer cases are stemming from large group gatherings and parties from the holidays. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Montgomery County, along with other counties in the state, are expecting an even greater surge in positive tests, especially with many college students expected to return home and spend time with their families.

With Abington originally scheduled to begin hybrid learning on November 30, many teachers, parents, and students were left wondering what will happen next. This morning on November 13, the district sent out an email regarding student cohorts for hybrid and virtual learning, and they have recently notified families about adjustments because of the county’s shutdown. Hybrid learning will not begin until December 7, and until then, the district is continuing the current virtual schedule. Meal distribution will continue like normal at Abington, but sports and extra-curricular activities throughout the county must be suspended during the remote learning period. Teachers at the senior high were also notified the other week that they could soon begin teaching from their classrooms for online synchronous days. However, this too may be affected by the shutdown. Overall, there was a mixed reaction from teachers, parents, and students throughout the county, but Montgomery may have set an example for other counties in the area.