Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has announced that all K-12 public school systems would remain closed for the rest of the school year.
The news came out during a press conference held by Governor Ralph Northam on March 23. He also ordered that all non-essential businesses close temporarily until April 23. Grocery stores, banks, pharmacies, and other essential services will be open during this period.
The governor had this to say about the new measures:
“This is an unprecedented situation, and it requires unprecedented actions to protect public health and save lives. I know the next several weeks will be difficult. These restrictions on non-essential businesses will create hardships on the businesses and employees affected. But they are necessary, and we do not undertake them lightly. I am calling on Virginians to sacrifice now, so that we can get through this together.” — Governor Ralph Northam
The next step will be for the Virginia Department of Education to provide additional information about the logistics of the school closures and additional instructional options.
School systems around the state were quick to put out their own statements after the 2 p.m. press conference.
Here is more information regarding our closure until the end of the school year...https://t.co/62xdfPA8RE pic.twitter.com/dc26xfTzKQ
— Steve Walts (@SuperPWCS) March 23, 2020
Moments ago, Gov. Ralph Northam announced that all public schools in Virginia would be closed for the REMAINDER OF THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/J7UxXCYxTn
— Henrico Schools (@HenricoSchools) March 23, 2020
See Superintendent Brabrand's message to FCPS families and staff regarding Governor Northam's announcement that all Virginia K-12 schools will be closed for the remainder of the academic year: https://t.co/9crZaN092B.
— Fairfax Schools (@fcpsnews) March 23, 2020
For more information, check your county's public school system website, Facebook, or Twitter pages. You can also watch the video of the governor's announcement here.
What are your thoughts on this news about Virginia public school closures? Sound off in the comments!