Liberty switching to online learning

More than 10 cases of coronavirus at high school shuts down classrooms until April 6

Liberty High School in Bethlehem will move from in-person classes to online learning until April 6 after more than 10 coronavirus cases were reported in the school in the last two weeks, school officials said.

“I was notified [Monday] of three additional positive COVID-19 cases,” Principal Harrison Bailey III said in a letter to parents. “... As of [Monday], we have [enough cases to] meet the [Pennsylvania Department of Education] criteria, which requires us to have a break in in-person instruction and activities.”

Bailey’s letter said students will work from home until the school’s hybrid schedule resumes April 6. All extracurricular activities are canceled until then as well.

“I ask for parent support for reinforcing with students that social distancing and masking are maintained during outside-of-school activities and socializing,” Bailey wrote.

“We have seen a significant increase of student cases at middle and high schools in the past two weeks as the weather improves and community activities take place.”

The Bethlehem school district had 84 cases the week of Dec. 7, with a daily average of 17. It had 29 the week of March 1, with a daily average of six, and 30 the week of March 8, again with a daily average of six. These numbers come from a report district superintendent Joseph Roy referenced March 16 when discussing a plan to safely return elementary school students to in-person learning.

OTHERS CLOSING

Bethlehem wasn’t the only Lehigh Valley school district this week announcing a temporary switch to online learning due to coronavirus cases.

According to their superintendents, all Catasauqua schools will conduct virtual instruction and return to in-person learning April 6, Alburtis Elementary (East Penn S.D.) will switch to online instruction through Tuesday, and the Nazareth Middle School has announced its closure through April 2.