Gov. Jay Inslee has announced that schools in Washington will stay closed for the remainder of the school year.
The original plan was to reopen schools for the spring term, but with the continued spread of COVID-19, Gov. Inslee says the closure is necessary in order to “put the health and safety of our community first.”
Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau said that despite the continued closure, SPS will continue to provide essential support and services for students and families, including free packed lunches for students. Remote-learning will be the norm for awhile, and SPS has been sending out learning packets and providing teacher-led lessons via SPS TV and You Tube.
“I understand the anxiety, sadness, and frustration this extended closure may cause, and I recognize that this transition has not been easy,” Juneau said in her statement. “Please know that each and every one of our decisions is made with the wellbeing of our 53,000 students in mind.”
SPS is still determining what the extended closure means for staff and students, including graduation details for seniors and info for students who receive specialized services. We’ll update with new info when it becomes available.