Montgomery Co. Public Schools Make Weather Decision For Jan. 4

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Montgomery County Public Schools will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 4. Officials made the call Monday night, citing the work needed to remove ice and snow at buildings so schools are safe for students and staff.

All school and community activities in school buildings also are canceled.

All school administrative offices and central offices will open on a two-hour delay. Day-care programs in school buildings may open by 9 a.m., a message on the Montgomery County Public Schools website said.

Snowfall amounts in the county varied widly, according to the National Weather Service:

• Somerset, 8.5 inches
• Langley Park, 7.6 inches
• Aspen Hill, 7.5 inches
• Four Corners, 7 inches
• Glenmont, 6.5 inches
• Wheaton, 6 inches
• Potomac, 4.2 inches
• Gaithersburg, 3.5 inches
• Montgomery Village, 2 inches
• Damascus, 1.9 inches
• Germantown, 1.8 inches

Climbing coronavirus cases may also affect schools this month. Families are asked to continue to report positive COVID-19 cases.

"Maintaining a safe environment when we return to school ... also means knowing and responding to positive student cases. If your child does test positive for COVID-19 during winter break, please report that to MCPS. The way to do that is by using this electronic form," the district said.
Through 10 p.m. on Jan. 1, there were 3,686 positive cases reported among students and staff in MCPS during winter break. The number of cases in the school system over the last several weeks has increased significantly in line with trends across Maryland and the United States.

A Dec. 30 community update from the district noted measures to keep students and staff safe.You can view the number of positive cases over winter break at each school at this link.
Beginning Monday, Jan. 3, a list of the number of positive cases reported at each school site that day will be reported at the top of the COVID-19 dashboard website by 7 p.m. each school day. The dashboard will continue to report data on total positive cases and quarantines on a weekly basis.