Montgomery Co. Public Schools changing COVID-19 protocols amid concerns from parents

Montgomery County Public Schools dropping color-coded COVID threat system

Montgomery County Public Schools is nixing the threshold it was using to help determine whether schools should transition from in-person to virtual learning due to positive COVID-19 cases.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - Montgomery County Public Schools is nixing the threshold it was using to help determine whether schools should transition from in-person to virtual learning due to positive COVID-19 cases.

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On Friday, MCPS Interim Superintendent Monifa B. McKnight and DHHS Acting Chief Health Officer Dr. James Bridgers issued a joint statement to parents informing them of the change.

"We have heard from families, students and staff and recognize that the pandemic’s changing landscape continues to generate concern for many community members," McKnight wrote. "These modifications result from clarifications from the state of Maryland on the appropriate use of thresholds for transitioning to virtual learning – and bring MCPS into closer alignment with how large school systems across the country are keeping schools safe amidst similar COVID-related challenges."

"We appreciate our community’s patience and perseverance as we navigate these dynamics," McKnight added. "We recognize that there is a great deal of concern about the rise in COVID-19 cases in our schools and community. Please know that we understand these concerns and are committed to maintaining a safe environment for students and staff."

McKnight said MCPS has decided to no longer use a threshold of 5% or more of unrelated students and staff in a school who test positive in a 14-day period to consider a transition to virtual learning.

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More Montgomery County Public School parents tell FOX 5 they’re frustrated about not knowing what’s next after an MCPS database showed an explosion in the number of schools reporting COVID-19 outbreaks.

Moving forward, MCPS and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will examine schools on a case-by-case basis to determine if any particular school needs to transition to virtual learning for a designated period of time.

DHHS and MCPS will make their decision based on the number of students and staff who have tested positive, the number of students in quarantine, the number of staff absent for COVID-related reasons and the level of spread of the virus in the school, the letter states.

Students who test positive will be required to isolate for 10 days from the date of the positive test or 10 days from the onset of symptoms, whichever comes first.

Take-home rapid test kits are slated to be distributed to all students and staff, in hopes of accurately revealing the prevalence of the virus in each school community. Parents are asked to help students administer these tests at home, and to submit whether their child has tested positive or negative using the MCPS COVID-19 reporting form.

McKnight also mentioned in the letter that MCPS has decided to no longer use a threshold of 5% or more of unrelated students and staff in a school who test positive in a 14-day period to consider a transition to virtual learning.

DHHS and MCPS will make their decision based on the number of students and staff who have tested positive; the number of students in quarantine; the number of staff absent for COVID-related reasons; and the level of spread of the virus in the school, the letter states.

Students who test positive will be required to isolate for 10 days from the date of the positive test or 10 days from the onset of symptoms, whichever comes first.

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Montgomery County Board of Education President Brenda Wolff released this statement to FOX 5:

"We continue to be dependent on the guidance from state and local health officials. Yesterday, the state indicated that localities had misinterpreted their definition of an outbreak. They clarified that guidance. We must change our plans to align with the guidance issued by state and local health officials. Of course these shifts unsettle our community and all of this is happening in the context of staffing shortages and operational challenges. I am very concerned that in addition to responding to shifting guidance our community is becoming increasingly polarized over schools. This is particularly unfortunate given that our schools have always been a space of unity across lines of difference."

Read the response a spokesperson from Maryland Health released to FOX 5 here.