As Coronavirus Spreads, BCPS Postpones Reopening Of Schools

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — As Baltimore County sees an uptick in coronavirus cases, Baltimore County Public Schools officials said Wednesday they were delaying the reopening of four schools.

"Due to rising COVID-19 rates in Baltimore County, BCPS is unable to proceed with reopening our four public separate day schools as scheduled," according to a statement from Baltimore County Public Schools.

Battle Monument, Maiden Choice, Ridge Ruxton and White Oak were slated to reopen for staff on Nov. 9 and students on Nov. 16.

“From day one, BCPS has prioritized the health and safety of staff and students," Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Darryl Williams and Chief of School Climate and Safety Michael J. Zarchin said in a joint statement Wednesday, Nov. 4.

The statement came as Maryland reported 1,000 new cases of the virus in the past day, and metrics used to measure the spread of the virus indicated it was gaining traction.

There are 21,605 confirmed cases of the virus in Baltimore County as of Wednesday. That's an increase of 126 cases in the past day. One week ago, there were 20,510 cases, meaning the county has seen more than 1,000 coronavirus cases reported in the past week alone.

"These numbers have steadily increased in the last week," Williams and Zarchin said Wednesday. "As of Nov. 3, the Baltimore County daily positivity rate is 4.6 percent, and the number of cases per 100,000 residents is greater than 18."

Two weeks ago, positivity was at 3.09 percent in Baltimore County, and the case rate was 10.76 per 100,000 residents, according to state health data.

The positivity rate has climbed more than 1.5 percent in two weeks and the number of new cases per 100,000 is at 18.3, the data showed Wednesday.

"BCPS staff will implement its reopening plan when the county positivity rate is 5 percent or lower and the number of cases per 100,000 residents is below 15," officials said.

The number of new and overall coronavirus cases in Baltimore County are metrics that can trigger the closure of programs, according to the reopening guide from Baltimore County Public Schools.

Here is an excerpt from the guide, which is called "Safety Is Our True North":

"As of Nov. 3, our cumulative number of cases per 100,000 (14 days total) is greater than 200," Williams and Zarchin said. "Our percent change in new cases per 100,000 (previous 7 days) is more than 10 percent."

Combined, those generate a score of 12, which indicates "Highest Concern," at which point officials should consider reducing or closing programs.

“As the COVID-19 crisis continues to evolve, we will monitor our metrics on a daily basis in coordination with the Baltimore County Department of Health and make adjustments as necessary, always keeping health and safety foremost in our minds," Williams and Zarchin said.

The school system expects to provide updates on Fridays regarding the status of reopening plans.

“We will proceed with a safe reopening for students two weeks after we meet the established parameters," Williams and Zarchin said regarding Battle Monument, Maiden Choice, Ridge Ruxton and White Oak, the first schools that had been set to reopen. "The return of school-based staff to school buildings is also being put on hold until further notice."