With local data showing there were limited instances of the coronavirus spreading in schools, more school districts are opting to reopen their classrooms, write Jason Laughlin and Maddie Hanna for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

For the first time since closing its doors nearly a year ago when the outbreak started, Cheltenham School District welcomed students back into classrooms this week. And despite the number of cases in the area being higher than in the fall, Superintendent Wagner Marseille believes the district is prepared.

Before the decision was made, district officials have consulted health experts, installed air purifiers in the oldest buildings, and observed as other communities began allowing students back into schools.

Marseille found that many schools that have had in-person classes since the fall “have found ways to make it work.”

The available data supports this position. So far, Montgomery County has traced only 46 cases to suspected school transmissions and 30 more to school sports.

Also, the number of positive coronavirus cases in ten- to nineteen-year-olds peaked in September and has been dropping ever since.

Read more about the local data at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.