LCPS to Return to 100% Distance Learning

Michael Delano | December 10, 2020

In an email to all LCPS parents dated December 10, LCPS stated that all students will return to 100% distance learning on Tuesday December 15. The entire email follows:

To All LCPS Families and Staff Members:

On Thursday, December 10, the Virginia Department of Health published data showing that both Loudoun County core indicators have exceeded the thresholds established by the School Board for returning to 100% distance learning. In addition, the Virginia Department of Health has retroactively updated metrics for earlier dates in December that indicate both metrics had exceeded their thresholds as of December 6.

Given this new information, and the expectation that metrics will stay above the thresholds for the foreseeable future, LCPS will revert to 100% distance learning for all students beginning Tuesday, December 15.

The Loudoun County School Board had determined that LCPS would return to 100% distance learning if both indicators exceed the established thresholds. In-person instruction would pause if Loudoun County stays above those thresholds for five consecutive business days.

The metrics, referred to as Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Core Indicators, are:

1. Total number of new cases per 100,000 persons within the last 14 days reaches more than 200; AND
2. Percentage of RT-PCR tests that are positive during the last 14 days reaches more than 10%. 

The metrics are reported by the Virginia Department of Health, and the VDH reporting is posted to the LCPS COVID Case Data webpage each business day.

If one of these metrics drops below its action threshold on Friday, December 11, or Monday, December 14, the five-day counter would reset to zero and restart when both metrics again exceeded their thresholds. LCPS does not anticipate that happening before December 15.

We understand that this process is disruptive for families of students who have been participating in hybrid in-person learning this fall. 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. 

LCPS will further discuss plans for using these metrics to determine when hybrid in-person learning could resume at the December 15, 2020, School Board meeting.

Thank you for your continued support as we adapt to the changing conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic in Loudoun County.

Sincerely,

Eric Williams, Ed.D.
Superintendent