Republican Gov. Doug Ducey on Sunday announced the state would temporarily shutter schools as a measure to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
“The safest place for children during this time is at home,” Ducey said in a statement with Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman. “They should not be cared for by elderly adults or those with underlying health conditions, including grandparents and other family members.”
Schools will close from Monday, Mar. 16 through Friday, Mar. 27. Ducey and Hoffman said that they are working together to assess and update the public on a rolling basis.
They added that they “are committed to working together to minimize the impact of these closures … we are assembling resources and forming community partnerships that will reduce the impact of these closures on families, teachers, and school communities.”
According to the statement, school administrators across the state are mandated to adhere to a set of measures during the closure. School administrators are encouraged to make every effort to offer accessible education learning opportunities through online access that can be sent to a student’s home, and districts are required to provide breakfast and lunch services for students who qualify for free-meal tickets.
After students return to school, administrations must develop and implement precautions to ensure that schools remain a safe and sterile environment during the remaining weeks of the state of emergency, according to a measure Ducey ordered earlier this month.
Amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, many of the state’s school districts have already opted toward extended closures and seasonal breaks so that the spread of the virus could be curtailed by diminishing social interactions, as now mandated by the governor.
