School system leaders in Montgomery County are planning to move more schools with high coronavirus infection rates into virtual learning in coming days, as the number of students and staff testing positive climbs amid the surge of the omicron variant.

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       The update late Friday afternoon came as another difficult week ended in Maryland’s largest school system, which faced mounting pressure to its rethink plans for full-scale in-person education.

       County Executive Marc Elrich (D) on Friday was among the most recent to weigh in, saying families should be able to choose a virtual option while the virus is spreading. Speaking to state lawmakers during a Zoom meeting, he said he favored a “temporary pause” that would allow some students the chance to learn virtually while others continue in person.

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       “The school system needs to take a pause and end the chaos,” he said. “It’s way too chaotic right now.”

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       Elrich said in an interview that the omicron variant’s transmissibility has changed the equation for many families, as schools grapple with staffing shortages exacerbated by virus-driven absences. “We’re dealing with omicron, and not delta — and all of these plans are based on delta, which was nowhere near as infectious,” he said.

       County health officials had plans to meet with school system officials to recommend a shift, according to Elrich. He said school system leaders have implied that other recent operational decisions have come from discussions with health officials. But “these are not our recommendations,” he said.

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       Montgomery County school system officials pushed back in a statement, saying that while they rely on health department guidance, the school board and school system have the ultimate responsibility for decisions on instruction and serving school families.

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       “We recognize the pressure that our elected officials are under based on the range of perspectives that their constituents have expressed, and we look forward to working collaboratively to address these concerns,” they said in a statement.

       School system leaders noted the system had released a plan Thursday to expand access to digital instruction to students at home, including those who test positive or are in quarantine.

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       Still, there is not a specific “virtual option” for families worried about omicron’s rapid spread. School leaders will work with families facing difficulties, case-by-case, but won’t make exceptions for those who are only fearful, said spokesman Chris Cram. “We believe schools are safe and you should come,” he said.

       School officials said next steps will be announced during the week of Jan. 18, when they expect to place some schools into virtual learning for 10 calendar days. Parents were asked to report results of at-home rapid tests for their children by Friday.

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       Elrich’s comments follow two weeks of turmoil in Montgomery County, with growing calls for a more thorough, transparent plan and better options for families who are worried about sending children into classrooms as case numbers are high.

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       On Thursday, the teachers union announced a no-confidence vote by members, and the union for principals and administrators called for a pause to create a more clear, strategic plan, saying the school system of 160,000 students has “never been in such a crisis state.”

       At several schools, the percentages of staff and students testing positive were as high as 11 to 20 percent Thursday, according to school officials. Some parents have kept their children home. A student-led petition calling for virtual learning has attracted more than 17,000 names.

       At the same time, parents who want schools to remain open have been vocal about the value of in-person learning and the safety of schools in the highly vaccinated county.

       More upheaval in Montgomery County schools as virus surges

       Earl Stoddard, assistant chief administrative officer for Montgomery County, said in an interview that Elrich’s recommendation is based on disease spread, but also a constellation of other factors: staffing shortages, mental health issues, social service access, parent concerns.

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       The recommendation does not mean schools are unsafe, Stoddard said. “Schools are not driving transmission in Montgomery County,” he said. “There is transmission occurring in every environment, including schools, across the county, but not disproportionately in schools.”

       Last week, the school system placed 126 of its 209 schools at a “red” level for high percentages of students and staffers testing positive for the coronavirus, then dropped that approach when state officials took exception. The color-coded system was intended to lead to decisions about whether a school should move temporarily to virtual learning.

       Now the school system has stopped posting percentages of student and staff positivity altogether, instead giving daily case counts. But parents and educators, worried about the state of omicron infection in their schools, started doing calculations of their own.

       Eleven schools that were switched over to virtual learning just after winter break are expected to return to in-person classes Jan. 18.