Protesters To Demand Montco Schools Open, Thousands Sign Petition

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Demonstrators plan to gather outside Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh's home in Wyndmoor Sunday to protest the recent decision to close schools to in-person instruction for two weeks.

Representatives for the group say that the protest will be peaceful and socially distant, and that police have been notified.

>>Montco Schools Ordered To Go Fully Virtual For 2 Weeks

"It is critical that teachers, parents and students within Montgomery County are given a CHOICE of education for our children!" Jaret Gale, one of the organizers of the event, wrote to Patch.

The decision to order schools to all virtual instruction for a two week period, beginning Nov. 23, was made at a county Board of Health meeting on Friday. The Board voted 5-0 in support of the proposal, a day after a public meeting during which dozens of parents and school administrators emotionally pleaded with the board to reject the plan.

The decision was made in light of skyrocketing cases of the virus in the county, and an anticipated spike following Thanksgiving. It's based on guidance from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Policy Lab.

As of Saturday evening, more than 2,500 had signed a Change.org petition demanding schools stay open to in-person learning.

"Despite near-unanimous condemnation from the hundreds of parents and school officials on the Zoom calls, and despite zero evidence that there has been any spread of Covid in our schools or that in-person learning has created significant risks for students or teachers, the Board overstepped its authority and took away parent's choice to send their children in-person," said Julia Vahey, executive director of the Montgomery County Republican Committee, which launched the petition.

County health officials argued that rising cases had already caused staffing shortages at schools in the county and could force closures if the area does not get a grip on the fall surge.

Gale said that the emotional toll of the closures on children has not been considered.

"To be so obtuse to our children’s needs, be it the youngest kindergartners to the hormone raging, awkward and confusing puberty ages, to the seniors in high school, is doing detrimental damage to them," Gale added. "We can and must do better. We have already lost children in our county due to suicide. How many more must we lose before the county (considers) their emotional needs and values them?"

>>Montco Schools Face Teacher, Staffing Shortages Over COVID Cases

Officials said that the two-week closure has a hard end date of Dec. 6, and that students will return Dec. 7. Parents have expressed concerns that this closure will be indefinite, as it was when schools first closed during the outbreak of the pandemic last spring.