North Penn to Go All Virtual Learning for One Week Following Winter Break

North Penn Now Staff•

North Penn School District has announced they will hold a week of virtual-only learning in January, in an effort to reduce the transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus coming out of winter break

Students who selected the hybrid learning model were set to return from the break on Jan. 4, 2021, however following Thursday night’s vote by the North Penn Board of School directors, all students will instead revert to the virtual learning model from Jan. 4 through Jan. 8.

Hybrid students will then return to in-person education on Jan. 11.

The move, much like the one levied by the Montgomery County Office of Public Health in November, seeks to reduce the amount of potential coronavirus transmission following an 11-day break where many students will be gathering with their family and friends for the holidays.

School board members acknowledged their reluctance to hold another virtual-only week, however they stressed that it was important to take proactive measures against the pandemic instead of reactive.

North Penn Assistant Superintendent Todd Bauer stated that during the county-wide shutdown bookending the Thanksgiving holiday, there were 31 students who tested positive and another 108 that were quarantined. With education being conducted virtual only during that period, in-person students were prevented from being exposed to those positives and potential positives.

After more than 45 minutes of discussion regarding the positive and negative impacts of the additional virtual-only week, the school board voted 8-1 in favor of the motion to move forward with the virtual week.

To view the discussion and vote, see below: