BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — Baltimore County Public School officials say they will maintain in-person learning five days a week for all students.
This announcement comes after the most recent increase in positive COVID-19 cases across the county, state and country.
Even though their school buildings will remain open, they will implement the following measures immediately to ensure that they can continue to keep buildings open for teaching and learning:
- All in-person, before and after school non-athletic extracurricular activities are suspended from Wednesday, December 22, 2021, through Friday, January 7, 2022. This includes clubs, programs, and in-person tutoring. Schools are encouraged to transition to virtual meetings if possible. Community use of school buildings, including daycare programs, can continue as scheduled.
- Athletic practices and games may continue as scheduled given that student athletes are required to provide proof of vaccination or participate in weekly testing as a condition for participation. All games during the Winter Break (December 23, 2021 – January 2, 2022) are canceled; optional masked practices are allowed. Beginning Monday, December 20, 2021, if a team has three or more active positive COVID-19 cases, team activities will be paused for 14 days. We want to remind all members of the community attending our games that masks are always required.
- In cases where the Baltimore County Department of Health identifies an outbreak and there is concern about increased spread of COVID-19 in a specific school, BCPS will work with health officials to determine next steps in accordance with the BCPS Response to Shifting Metrics.
- BCPS will only close all schools and move to district-wide virtual instruction if required to do so by local and/or state government officials. The district will continue to work closely with the Baltimore County Department of Health to monitor cases in our schools. We will provide an update on our efforts by Thursday, December 30, 2021.
In an effort to proactively prepare for any county and/or state ordered change to school operations, Baltimore County Public School officials ask that all students and staff bring their devices and chargers home for the winter break.
