Schools undergo deep cleaning: North Penn open after 2 cases of possible exposure

LANSDALE » As cases of COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus draw ever closer, including possible exposure in two district schools, North Penn School District officials are doing everything they can to keep the public informed and spread of the disease to a minimum.

“We really appreciate all of the efforts of all of the individuals in the school district, from our administrators, our teachers, our custodians, our support staff, our bus drivers, who are all working really hard to keep our children safe,” said Superintendent Curt Dietrich at a school board meeting Tuesday.

On Monday the district announced two cases of possible

exposure: a staff member at A.M. Kulp Elementary in Hatfield was exposed March 5 to an individual at an area health provider who tested positive for COVID-19; a parent of a student at Bridle Path Elementary in Montgomery Township also reportedly tested presumptive positive. The Kulp staff member has not shown any symptoms but is currently under quarantine, according to the district.

The Bridle Path parent, who had visited the school office for a short time on March 6, is now under medical care and the parent’s child has self-quarantined and is not currently at school.

Those two buildings received extra “intensive sanitizing” efforts late Monday into Tuesday, according to the district, and staff have ordered an extra 500 gallons of commercial disinfectant, 50 cases of 3M disinfectant, and extra hand soap. Staff have also distributed additional hand sanitizer to all buildings, adding extra sanitizing stations

at school entrances for visitors, and cleaned all student desks, school buses, and “high-touch points” every night.

“We’re taking everything a day at a time, but that said, we also have people working behind the scenes,” said Dietrich.

“If it should come to pass that we need to take extra measures, beyond what we’re doing now, we would be prepared for that,” he said.

Dietrich and school board President Tina Stoll said Tuesday night that they have no further updates on

those cases or any others, but voiced thanks to parents and staff across the district for their efforts so far. Stoll thanked administrators, the communications department and custodial staff for their hard work and reminded residents to check for updates on the district website.

No changes have been made to the district’s calendar for the rest of the school year, and large events like North Penn High School’s graduation are still on as scheduled, for now. Each year the district finalizes its end-of-year schedule

around early April, to account for any snow days due to late winter weather, and Dietrich said that may happen later than usual this year.

“We have to watch this as it unfolds. It’s unprecedented, and people need to be flexible,” he said.

Board member Juliane Ramic also added thanks to teachers across the district, for using the outbreak as an opportunity to educate, rather than frighten,

their students.

“Bringing the science into this, and what this is about, bringing in the different careers, and ideas about who’s involved, and what their roles are,” Ramic said.

“It’s helped, at least a student in my home, see the future, a potential career, a potential job, a potential role, and I want to thank everyone for the time they’ve put in,” she said.

For more information visit www.NPenn.org.