Four schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, will begin virtual learning on Jan. 29, the school system said Thursday.
The schools include Harmony Hills Elementary School, Loiederman Middle School, Pine Crest Elementary School and Wheaton Woods Elementary School. The autism program at Westover Elementary School will also move to virtual learning.
The changes will be in effect for 10 calendar days.
In a statement, MCPS said the change was made “in the interest of the overall school community’s health and safety.”
Students at the schools will learn virtually from Jan. 31 through Feb. 9. and will return to in-person learning on Thursday, Feb. 10.
Also in the statement, Maryland’s largest school system announced it will consider implementing virtual learning on days when schools are closed due to inclement weather.
It asked parents to fill out a survey on the proposed change.
MCPS said it will continue to offer KN95 masks to students and teachers, and will continue distribution through the rest of the school year. The school system will also be expanding in-school PCR testing.
The statement outlined the school system’s newest crowd control updates. Starting Saturday, it will welcome spectators back to MCPS facilities for athletic events and other extracurricular activities at 25% capacity.
The announcements come after the school system has faced harsh criticism in recent weeks from parents, teachers and students about how it has implemented its COVID-19 policies.