COLUMBUS – Ohio schools, scheduled to reopen Friday, will remain closed for almost one more month as a precaution against spreading the coronavirus, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday.
K-12: Our original order to close school buildings was for 3 weeks. We're giving an additional order that will take this to May 1, which is a Friday. We will reevaluate as we get closer to that date. pic.twitter.com/OyFNtSK8Lu
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 30, 2020
“It made no sense, if we were going to try to slow this down, to continue to have kids congregating in school every single day,” he said at his daily news briefing at the Statehouse Monday.
DeWine says the schools will remain closed until May 1 and their status will be re-evaluated before that date.
He did not rule out the possibility that the closure could be extended into the summer months.
“There is the real possibility that our schools could stay closed longer than this, but we want to give parents and teachers as much notice and flexibility as we can,” DeWine said. “Schools should continue to do what they’re doing now — providing the best remote learning that they can, serving meals to students in new ways, and planning for what the rest of the year may look like.”
Columbus City Schools — the state’s largest district — was ready for the possibility and is unveiling its new distance learning program for all grades and students beginning Monday.
The program will allow parents to access student’s online distance learning platforms, which vary by grade level and subject, and connect with teachers, principals and school support staff, superintendent Talisa Dixon said.
Parents will receive information on how to access new student email addresses for communication within the district where those without reliable internet service at home can access Wi-Fi across the city.
The district will also observe its spring break, scheduled for April 10-17, Dixon said.
Ohio has 1,933 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 39 deaths. That includes 366 cases in central Ohio and three deaths, including the first one reported in Delaware County. Franklin County has 281 confirmed cases with two fatalities.
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DeWine also announced that he has formed a “Homelessness Team” to help people who may rely on homeless shelters, domestic shelters, group homes, and recovery housing – all of which pose challenges for social distancing.