Central Bucks Parents Plan Protest Against Virtual School Start

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A group of Central Bucks parents have mobilized a campaign to protest the district's decision to start the year virtually.

The protest is planned for this Saturday at 11 a.m. in front of the old courthouse in Doylestown.

Lauren Feldman, one of the protest organizers, said it's too early to say about how many people will attend. There has been "a lot of interest" in the event, she said.

In preparation for the protest, organizers have made t-shirts. The shirts, which are being sold online for $5, feature the district logo and say: "Reopen our schools #kidsfirst."

The mobilization comes days after the district abruptly pulled the plug on offering in-person instruction in the fall. The decision announced Monday by Superintendent John Kopicki was due to a staffing shortfall, he said.

Administrators recently reviewed responses from Central Bucks parents regarding their instructional preferences. Three choices had been offered: hybrid, online only, and traditional five-day for elementary students only.

"Upon receipt of these responses, we applied the data to our educational models and began to prepare teacher placement to deliver the various options. As our administrative staff interpreted the data and fulfilled our educational plan with faculty and staff assignments, it became quickly apparent that we do not have adequate staff to safely open school," Kopicki wrote in the announcement.

The abrupt change of plans sparked outrage among some community members. There were more than 750 comments on the district's Facebook post about the scheduling update.

Kopicki said the district is currently evaluating its staffing, and plans to implement "all options of our reopening plan as soon as possible."

Dozens of jobs have been added to the Central Bucks employment portal this week, including for teachers, librarians, counselors, and school nurses.