Republican Group Says MoCo Overstepped With Private School Order

BETHESDA, MD — The Montgomery County Federation of Republican Women applauded Gov. Larry Hogan's decision to strip counties of their power to order blanket school closures.

The decision was made after Montgomery County's health officer issued a directive to delay in-person instruction at local private and parochial schools.

"As mothers and grandmothers, the 400 members of the Montgomery County Federation of Republican Women (MCFRW) applaud Governor Larry Hogan for overturning the Montgomery County Health Officer's directive to keep nonpublic schools closed," the organization said in a statement Tuesday.

"After the Health Officer's announcement on Friday evening, July 31, many of our members expressed outrage about this sudden decision that oversteps county government boundaries. Private and parochial schools were blind-sided, as many were preparing for their students to return to school at considerable expense, for either full-time or a hybrid of virtual and in-class instruction."

On Friday, Montgomery County's top health official Dr. Travis Gayles directed private schools to remain closed for in-person instruction through Oct. 1, citing increases in transmission rates in the D.C. metro area.

The directive drew criticism from Hogan, who on Monday issued an amended emergency order.

Under his order, private and parochial schools can decide when and how to reopen during the public health crisis.

"Private and parochial schools deserve the same opportunity and flexibility to make reopening decisions based on public health guidelines," the Republican governor said Monday. "The blanket closure mandate imposed by Montgomery County was overly broad and inconsistent with the powers intended to be delegated to the county health officer."