Central Bucks School District going online-only for the fall due to lack of staff

DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The Central Bucks School District, the third-largest district in Pennsylvania, said on Monday it will be going online-only this fall.

The school year will begin on September 8 and will be online-only until the end of the first marking period on November 11.

The district had planned on a choice of in-person, hybrid or virtual for elementary students and a choice of hybrid or virtual for secondary students.

However, Superintendent John Kopicki said that once the district asked parents about their choice, district officials said they found there would not be enough staff available to safely open the schools.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has left many people struggling to find a balance between safely returning to work while maintaining personal health and well-being. Our faculty and staff are no different than our community in that many of our employees are struggling with countless issues and individual circumstances that prevent them from returning to our schools in person," the statement said.

More information about Central Bucks' online learning program can be found here.