Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced today that all K-12 schools will close for two weeks in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
The closure will begin Monday, March 16. State officials will evaluate the situation at the end of 10 days to determine if the closure should continue.
The decision comes on the heels of many colleges and universities closing around the state earlier this week.
“First and foremost, my top priority as governor — and that of our education leaders — must be to ensure the health and safety of our students and school communities,” Wolf said in an announcement on governor.pa.gov.
Wolf also announced no schools will be penalized if they cannot meet the minimum 180 days of instruction they are required to provide students.
Additionally, the Pennsylvania Department of Education will allow schools to serve meals to low-income students during the closure. The process will resemble a drive-through or grab-and-go format.
“We appreciate your collaboration as we work together to deal with this difficult issue,” Wolf said.
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