Gov. Ralph Northam orders all Virginia K-12 schools closed for minimum of 2 weeks
Governor Ralph Northam has ordered all K-12 schools in Virginia to close for a minimum of two weeks in response to the continued spread of COVID-19.
At the time of the announcement on Friday, March 13, there were 30 cases in the state.
Schools will close from Monday, March 16, through Friday, March 27, at a minimum. Localities will maintain authority over specific staffing decisions to ensure students maintain continuity of services or learning, while protecting the public health of teachers and staff.
Some northern Virginia schools had already taken steps to close schools for even longer through mid-April. For more on that, click HERE.
“We are taking this action to keep Virginians as safe and healthy as possible, and to minimize exposure to COVID-19,” said Governor Northam. “I recognize this will pose a hardship on many families, but closing our schools for two weeks will not only give our staff time to clean and disinfect school facilities, it will help slow the spread of this virus. This is a fluid and fast-changing situation. We will do everything possible to ensure that students who rely on school nutrition programs continue to have access to meals, and that the disruption to academics is as minimal as possible.”
Virginia Department of Education officials are working closely with school divisions and the Department of Social Services to ensure students who qualify for free or reduced lunch programs are able to access those programs while schools are closed.
