Phoenixville Schools Will Return To Fully Virtual Instruction

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — All Phoenxiville Area School District students will move to all-virtual learning on Monday, as its COVID-19 numbers have outpaced the rest of Chester County.

Phoenixville Area School District (PASD) Board of School Directors voted in its Nov. 16 meeting to move to full virtual instruction for all students beginning Nov.23, after COVID-19 metrics tracked showed crucial numbers climbing for three consecutive weeks.

With Thanksgiving near and case increases expected because of holiday travel, PASD Superintendent Dr. Alan Fegley expressed concern.

"With the predicted increase of more community spread over the Thanksgiving holiday, these steps are being taken to protect the health and safety of our entire PASD family," he said.

The district explained the Chester County Health Department's guidance for transitioning between instructional models calls for consideration of a change when thresholds for incidence rates and positivity in a recommendation category are met for three consecutive weeks.

The board will consider approving the return to hybrid instruction once the incidence rate and positivity rate show a decrease for three consecutive weeks. In order for students to return to the building, the incidence rate needs to be at or below 80 per 100,000 and/or the positivity rate needs be below 5 percent, the health department advises.

If those criteria are met, but there is insufficient staff for a return to in-person learning, in-person learning will begin as soon as there is adequate staffing, the school district stated.

Fegley addressed parents directly in Monday night's meeting.

"While we know this is not the news many wanted to hear, the number of cases in and around Chester County have risen significantly in the past weeks. As soon as we meet the criteria for a safe return, we will bring students back into the buildings," Fegley said.

The district said beginning Dec. 10, low incidence special education and ELL newcomers will return for in-person instruction, while all other students remain full virtual.

To read the full update, including the most recent COVID-19 numbers for Chester County and PASD, click here.

The chart below is taken from the above link to the PASD website. It shows incidence rates climbing over the past three weeks, even higher than in Chester County overall, and a spike in COVID-19 cases last week.