Harrisburg’s Benjamin Franklin School
Pennsylvania schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, the state ordered today.
Gov. Tom Wolf said that the step was necessary to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
“We must continue our efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus during this national crisis,” Wolf said, in a statement. “This was not an easy decision, but closing schools until the end of the academic year is in the best interest of our students, school employees and families.”
Wolf first ordered schools closed last month, setting an early April reopening date. He then said that schools would be closed until further notice before today’s announcement that they will remain shut.
The closure mandate applies to all schools, including public, private and cyber charter schools.
In his statement, Wolf said that, although schools are closed, they’re “strongly encouraged” to continue to offer education in “the most appropriate and accessible ways possible,” whether through online or paper-based lessons.
Schools will stay closed until Wolf lifts his “stay at home” order and the state explicitly allows them to reopen, according to the state Department of Education (PDE).
“As schools and communities adapt to the prolonged school closure, PDE will continue to work with our state, educational, and business and nonprofit partners to meet the needs of students,” said education Secretary Pedro Rivera.
