HoCo Schools Likely Will Remain Open Even During COVID-19 Surge: HCPSS Official

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Howard County Public School System officials are focused on "keeping school buildings open for instruction," even if that means temporarily suspending other activities in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus, said Superintendent Michael Martirano.

"Closing school buildings is a last resort," Martirano said Friday. "I want to be clear: The quality of supports our students receive virtually is not ideal in comparison to those they receive in person. Local and national health and education leaders have all stressed the importance of in-person education to continue. Secondary transmission of COVID-19 in schools has been low compared to community transmission. Our local health officer, Dr. Maura Rossman, noted that even when all schools were closed during the past two weeks, cases have surged and that schools may be a safer place for students since mitigation strategies are layered and can be enforced."

Virtual instruction ultimately may become unavoidable for certain classes or schools as the latest coronavirus strain spreads, he said, but the Maryland State Department of Education noted in December that “only on a case-by-case basis under the most exigent of circumstances and in close consultation with state and local health departments will MSDE support a temporary transition of a school system to virtual learning with guardrails in place that ensure students have access to a connected learning device and meaningful synchronous instruction.”

State Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudhury said that “when COVID-19 transmission increases and health measures become a necessity, schools must be the last places to close.”

Martirano said that virtual and hybrid instruction had numerous challenges; therefore, he will "do everything in my power to remain fully in-person." He also explained that the district has adjusted its contact tracing process "to ensure we are meeting legal requirements to provide accurate and timely data to the health department while supporting our students and staff who test positive."

HCPSS will continue to send the names and addresses of students who test positive to the Howard County Health Department, contact families of students with COVID and gather information about others where there are multiple cases of positive students. The district hopes to develop technology that will help streamline data collection and sharing to expedite the contact tracing process, especially since using an outside contractor didn't pan out.

"As long as the number of cases remains extremely high, HCPSS efforts will prioritize communication and education to families whose children test positive. HCPSS will continue to identify cohorts and share that information with the HCHD. School principals will continue to prioritize communication and education to families whose children test positive and notify the school community when there is a positive case in the building," Martirano said.