Philadelphia public schools will not return to in-class instruction until further notice, according to today’s announcement by the School District. The decision was made based on the most recent updates from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH). There has been an upsurge in COVID-19 cases in the city in the past few weeks (740 new cases were reported on Nov. 5 – the highest daily increase since the beginning of the pandemic).

Last month, the School District announced a hybrid learning plan that would allow public school students from kindergarten through 2nd grade to return to classrooms two days a week across the city beginning Nov. 30. However, this plan has now been postponed indefinitely. 

“It continues to be our goal to transition to hybrid learning, but we remain committed to doing so only when guidance and data from the PDPH, PDE and PDH shows that we can do it safely,” reads a letter to the school community from the Superintendent Dr. William Hite.

“We realize this is disappointing news for many students and families who want to resume in-person learning, but safety has been and will remain our highest priority.”