LEESBURG, Va. — Loudoun County schools will return to 100% distance learning beginning Tuesday, December 15.
School Superintendent Eric Williams announced the decision Thursday after seeing the rise in coronavirus cases in Loudoun County exceeded its established threshold for in-person learning.
The school system had been phasing in more and more students and teachers at its schools than most counties in the DMV as part of its hybrid in-person learning program.
Just over a week ago on December 1, the county added 7,300 more 3rd through 5th graders, as well as seniors, at the Academy of Science and the Academy of Engineering and Technology.
According to the district's website, LCPS has had 166 positive staff cases and 49 student cases since September 8. The site also said that school system cases increased last week.
Loudoun County exceeded the established thresholds of total number of new cases per day, per 100,000 people (200) and positivity rate of more than 10 percent.
If either of those numbers go below the threshold in the days before Dec. 15, the decision could reverse, but Superintendent Williams said he does not expect that to happen.
"We understand that this process is disruptive for families of students who have been participating in hybrid in-person learning this fall," Superintendent Williams wrote in a press release Thursday announcing the decision. "The safety and well-being of all students, staff members, their families and the community continues to be our highest priority, and this decision is being made consistent with our commitment to achieving that objective.
