Saucon Valley, East Penn to close buildings after Thanksgiving

Two Lehigh Valley school districts will temporarily switch to all-remote learning after Thanksgiving in an attempt to keep COVID-19 cases to a minimumamidanexplosion of infections across the state and region.

District officials in the Saucon Valley and East Penn school districts announced their planned closures this week. Saucon Valley schools will reopen Dec. 7, and East Penn schools will reopen Dec. 14.

“The reason for the closure is strictly precautionary relative to preventing any potential spread of the virus in schools following the Thanksgiving holiday,” Saucon Valley Superintendent Craig Butler wrote in an email to the school community. “Providing this hiatus of in-person instruction will hopefully curtail any potentially heightened spread of the virus.”

In an email to the East Penn community, Superintendent Kristen Campbell said the nine days of fully remote learning are intended to avoid a surge in community transmission and to ensure that in-person learning remains an option.

“The state is encouraging everyone to minimize social gatherings during the holidays; however, we anticipate increased exposures in a time when local transmission rates are headed in the wrong direction,” Campbell wrote. “Wehopethis time period serves as a ‘contact break’ for us to keep everyone safe and possibly turn the tide of cases in our school community.”

She also noted that many college students will come home over the Thanksgiving holiday, potentially increasing family exposure.