Montco Schools Face Teacher, Staffing Shortages Over COVID Cases

NORRISTOWN, PA — Closing schools is about more than just students, officials say, as some Montgomery County districts already face closures due to staffing shortages. The news comes as the Board of Health ordered all schools to go to fully virtual instruction for two weeks, beginning Nov. 23, amid the rapid increase in coronavirus cases.

There have been at least 100 COVID-19 cases amongst teachers and support staff in the county since some schools began reopening to in-person instruction this fall. The cases have pushed staffing resources to the brink, even as many districts continued to move ahead with hybrid reopening plans this month.

"In order to keep the schools open, there must be replacement staff," Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said.

>>Montco Schools Ordered To Go Fully Virtual For 2 Weeks

Arkoosh said Thursday that superintendents have been adamant that there are no more substitute teachers available, and the pool of available of bus drivers is nearing depletion. This could lead to automatic closures if the county does not get a handle on the fall surge of the virus.

Staffing shortages over the summer were a reason many local districts scrapped plans to start the 2020 school year with a hybrid education plan.

Much of the public debate, however, has seen parents and school administrators focusing on the lack of transmission in schools. Arkoosh acknowledged this, stating that there have been a total of 268 cases amongst students since September, with most of that happening outside the classroom. Youth sports and private indoor gatherings continue to be the chief spreaders. But that does not mean schools are not impacted, or that they won't be in the near future, officials say.

"Because of the large increases in cases following Halloween parties, we are extremely concerned about Thanksgiving," Arkoosh said.

Some school administrators still voiced disagreement, and wanted each individual district to be allowed to make their own decision.

"We have no data of linked transmission in our schools," Perkiomen School District Superintendent Barbara Russell said during a Thursday Board of Health meeting. "My worry is, if schools shift to a fully virtual model, outside of that structured school environment, that spread could actually increase."

Both local and state public health officials are urging residents to not hold Thanksgiving gatherings with individuals outside of their households.