Pennsbury Schools Returning To Virtual After Thanksgiving

FALLSINGTON, PA — Barely a week after the first Pennsbury School District students returned to in-person classes, the district announced it will be returning to remote learning the week after Thanksgiving.

In a letter Friday to the school community, Superintendent William Gretzula said Pennsbury students will be asked to stay home an extra week after next week's Thanksgiving holiday. They will attend classes remotely the week of Nov. 30-Dec. 4, Gretzula said.

"As exciting as it has been to see the joy on children’s faces, we have obviously entered a concerning period of the pandemic with cases rising exponentially," he wrote in the letter.

Pennsbury students from pre-K through 2nd grade, along with some in specialized learning plans,returned to in-person schooling last Thursday. Under a hybrid plan, they are attending classes in person some days and learning remotely on others.

RELATED: Bucks Co. Towns With Most, Least Coronavirus Cases

But the return came just as Bucks County was hit by the fall coronavirus surge that has swept through much of the nation. The 1,676 new COVID-19 cases in Bucks County last week were double the week before — and that week had been the county's biggest week for new cases since the pandemic began.

Students scheduled to attend in-person classes next week will do so from Monday through Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are Thanksgiving holidays.

Gretzula said that the Pennsbury school board's decision was based on both student safety and staffing concerns. In the past 18 days, the district has had 23 students and 21 staff members test positive for the virus.

Even more staff members have been required to quarantine after being exposed to people sick with the virus, he said, and other students and staff members are currently awaiting test results.

Gretzula said staff members have been pulled from regular assignments to cover classes, staff members are teaching during what should have been their preparation periods, math and reading specialists are being pulled to other assignments and special area classes are being canceled.

"Everyone is doing the best they can to support one another," Gretzula said. "However, this is unsustainable and has compromised the strength of the educational delivery system we have built and that kids deserve."

While there have been no confirmed cases of transmission at school, the superintendent noted that some families may travel or gather locally over the Thanksgiving holiday, upping the risk.

The school board will meet again on Dec. 3, when they are expected to discuss returning to in-person schooling after Dec. 7.