Statewide COVID-19 Closure: Maryland Temporarily Shuts Down All Public Schools
The state of Maryland
announced it’s shutting down all public K–12 schools beginning
Monday, owing to fears over the Novel Coronavirus, and told
administrators and faculty they need to “immediately prepare for,
and put into place, measures for the continuity of educational
services during this prolonged period of school closure.”
The closures, for the time
being, will take place between March 16 and March 27.
“It is crucial that we
take immediate measures to slow the spread of the Novel Coronavirus
(COVID-19) in school communities around the State,” said State
Superintendent of Schools Karen Salmon, in a prepared statement.
“During the time of school closure, all public school buildings and
school buses should be cleaned and disinfected to prevent spread of
the virus upon the return of students and staff to school.”
Childcare services have not
been canceled in the state. According to the Maryland State
Department of Education: “Plans regarding childcare services are
being developed by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)
at this time to ensure that the children of emergency services
personnel (particularly those working in healthcare facilities) have
access to childcare throughout the prolonged period of school
closure. MSDE immediately started working to ensure that vital
services, such as the provision of meals to students, will continue
to be provided throughout the duration of this period.”
MSDE did not announce plans
to shift education online during the closure period. Instead, the
agency advised schools that “days previously scheduled for spring
break be used for make-up days.”
Find more resources for schools during the COVID-19 crisis here.