AACPS Delays Hybrid Classes; Anne Arundel Coronavirus Cases Surge

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — The Anne Arundel County Board of Education voted Wednesday to delay hybrid schooling until at least the second semester, which starts on Feb. 2. The board's previous plan was to offer hybrid classes to interested elementary schoolers later this month.

Students in Pre-K through second grade would've had the option to start hybrid instruction on Nov. 16. Their peers in grades three through five could've begun on Nov. 30.

School officials worry that coronavirus is spreading too quickly in the county. Anne Arundel's rate of new cases is the highest its been since the pandemic began.

"The implementation of the hybrid model in the second semester will continue to be contingent on the meeting of health and safety metrics," the board said in a press release early Thursday morning.

The remaining AACPS students will continue distance learning until further notice. The Board of Education has not yet set a target return date for middle and high school students.

In a separate Wednesday vote, board members cleared more priority students to return to school buildings. This adds in-person components for students in English language, special education and Center for Applied Technology programs. Some of these students have taken hybrid classes since the start of the school year.

"In-person opportunities for our special needs and technology students are critical," Superintendent George Arlotto said in a Thursday afternoon announcement. "That is why they were the first students we brought back into our buildings this fall."

Though these in-person sessions are cleared to grow, they faced a setback Thursday when Arlotto temporarily paused small-group instruction. Students at the Center for Applied Technology-North and the county's three developmental centers will move online on Nov. 9.

"The prudent thing to do in alignment with the health and safety metrics established by the Anne Arundel County Department of Health is to return to a virtual environment," Arlotto added. "I want to be clear, however, that as soon as the metrics allow, we will bring these students back into our buildings."

Arlotto also put indoor activities and sports practices on a hiatus. Outdoor activities and practices, on the other hand, may continue.

The county is still preparing to start competitive sports in December. Arlotto said he is still watching the coronavirus statistics that affect this decision.

How We Got Here

The most recent data clock Anne Arundel County's positivity rate at 4.34 percent, which is 0.13 percent higher than the statewide clip. The county's positivity rate hit its pandemic low of 2.29 percent on Aug. 16. Since jumping to a recent high of 4.45 percent on Sept. 7, the rate has varied.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says municipalities should aim to keep their positivity rate below 5 percent. When counties hit this mark, Maryland health leaders say it is likely safe to return to schools for hybrid instruction.

Though Anne Arundel met the positivity rate recommendation, school officials still started the fall semester with online classes for most students. AACPS previously committed to distance learning for the first two marking periods.

The state challenged AACPS's initial decision to remain online. Hogan then urged schools to start considering a hybrid model. AACPS responded by reaffirming its immediate commitment to remote learning while also speeding up its plans for eventual hybrid classes.

Some students, like those in special education and English language programs, started their year under the hybrid model. Seeing their success, County Executive Steaurt Pittman teased a universal hybrid strategy.

The Board of Education eventually decided to offer hybrid classes to willing elementary schoolers. Pittman initially supported the move, but rising coronavirus metrics forced him to reconsider. The board eventually agreed, delaying hybrid instruction until the second semester.

"I’ve been worried that people have just thrown in the towel," Pittman said. "It’s really easy to just get fatigued."

Anne Arundel County has been under the 5 percent benchmark since June 22. The local positivity rate topped out at 28.24 percent on April 16.

While the jurisdiction meets the percent positive guideline, it does not meet the state's infections-per-capita marker. State health officials say municipalities should aim for a case rate of less than five new coronavirus cases-per-day per 100,000 people.

Anne Arundel County's case rate has aligned with Maryland's trends. It hit an initial peak of 13.84 on June 3 before receding to its minimum of 3.53 by June 26.

A second surge spiked Anne Arundel's case rate to its overall peak of 14.26 on Aug. 2. Infections quelled by Aug. 20, dropping the case rate to 6.93.

After a brief downturn, another wave accelerated the county's infections. The case rate hiked to 12.78 on Sept. 18 and quickly fell to 8.56. by Sept. 27

The case rate has since shot up to a pandemic-high of 15.27. That's more than triple the state's goal.

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The county must average less than 28.96 new coronavirus infections-per-day over a rolling week to meet the state's per-capita suggestion. Anne Arundel County has averaged 87.57 new cases-per-day during the last seven days.

Anne Arundel has the fifth most coronavirus infections in the state, with 12,653. The virus has killed 271 county residents.

"It’s like these people are invisible," Pittman said. "We often don’t know who they are, and they are dying alone."

Coronavirus-related hospitalizations have seen an upswing recently. Forty-seven patients were in the hospital Wednesday.

The county reported 59 hospitalizations Tuesday. That was the most since June 11.

Anne Arundel had fewer than 50 coronavirus patients in the hospital between June 14 and Oct. 16. Hospitalizations hit a recent low of 21 on Sept. 27. More than 170 people were hospitalized in Anne Arundel County on the pandemic's April 21 peak.

"The end is in sight, but we’ve got to finish the job that we’ve started," Pittman said.

RELATED:

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• AACPS Adopts Hybrid Model, Eligible Students Can Opt In
• Coronavirus Holiday Season May Be 'A Little Depressing': Pittman

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