Governor Tom Wolf announced on November 23rd a series of new “targeted mitigation efforts” in response to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. One involved schools.

The Wolf Administration is requiring public schools (pre-K to 12th grade) in counties that have been in the substantial transmission level for at least two consecutive weeks to commit to safety measures to ensure the safety and well-being of students and educators. Schools choosing to not commit to these measures are required to implement remote learning without all extracurricular activities. According to the governor’s administration, as of November 20th, there are 59 counties in the substantial transmission level for at least two consecutive weeks.

There is no mention of private schools in this new requirement. We asked the governor’s office about this, received a response back asking our deadline, and then never received another response.

On agenda for the Tuesday, December 1st meeting of the Colonial School Board under “Superintendent’s Update” is the Pennsylvania Department of Education Attestation Form. Schools that commit to staying open for in-school instruction must follow a set of protocols that involve masks and what schools should do when there are positive cases within the school setting. You can view the presentation here.T

The board meeting is at 7:15 p.m. The meeting is virtual and can be viewed here.