Neshaminy Schools, Truman High Going Remote Due To Poor Air Quality

LEVITTOWN, PA —With "hazardous" air quality from the Canadian wildfires continuing, students in the Neshaminy School District and Truman High School in Bristol Township will be operating remotely Thursday.

The Neshaminy School District posted on its website that after checking the latest predictions for the smoke conditions from the Canadian wildfire, it appears that hazardous conditions will remain with us as the Philadelphia region is under a "Code Red" for air quality.

School officials said the air is unhealthy for the general population, and all outdoor activities should be avoided.

"Given the severity of this unusual weather event and the nature of the smoke, it is difficult if not impossible for our HVAC systems to keep all of this smoke out of our schools and maintain a supply of fresh air in full buildings," school officials said. "Out of concern for the health of all of our students and staff (regardless of their overall health conditions), all Neshaminy school buildings will be closed on Thursday and students will have an asynchronous online learning day."

School officials urged all families and staff to limit outdoor activities.

"We hope to return to our regular in-person classes on Friday," school officials said.

Meanwhile, the Bristol Township School District announced that Truman High School students would stay home Thursday.

"After assessing the air quality conditions in our schools, Truman High School —and only Truman —will be fully remote and virtual today," school officials said in a Facebook post. "Please stay safe while the air quality alert remains in place."

No staff or students should report to Truman and should follow the Flexible Instruction Day schedule.

Bristol Township school officials said that while all other schools would operate on a normal schedule, all outdoor activities are canceled.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said Thursday was upgraded from Code Orange to Code Red —the same as Wednesday —due to increased particulate matter in the air.

Thursday is expected to see persistent smoky conditions through much of the day.

Air quality is expected to be highest in the morning, however, quality is expected to worsen throughout the day due to Thursday's weather pattern.

The main low-pressure system over Nova Scotia, Canada will move from east to west, across eastern Canada. Officials said that movement will change the orientation of the winds over Pennsylvania, which models indicating the plume will actually shift further to the west, thus relaxing the onslaught of smoke over eastern Pennsylvania.

Even with the declining levels of particulate matter expected, overall averages should at least remain well within the Code Orange range, according to the DEP.

Over the coming days, officials said to expect the air quality to continue to improve.

Levittown residents can check their air quality index by clicking here.