Another state shutters its schools for the year

As the State Board of Education prepares to meet Monday to review Idaho’s “soft closure” of schools, the coronavirus is forcing more states to shuttering their schools for the year.

Indiana joined that list Thursday, as Gov. Eric J. Holcomb ordered schools to continue remote learning for the remainder of the school year. Holcomb first closed the schools on March 19 and extended the shutdown twice before Thursday’s announcement, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Indiana’s decision means 10 states have closed their schools for the remainder of the academic year, according to Education Week.

Idaho is nearly two weeks into a soft closure, imposed by the State Board on March 23. The closure means school facilities are off limits to students, and it requires districts and charters to shift to a remote learning model.

As it stands, the soft closure runs through April 20.

But since the schools’ closure, President Trump has urged Americans to practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings through April 30. Gov. Brad Little, meanwhile, has issued a stay-at-home directive, running through April 15 — and on Thursday, Little indicated the directive would continue beyond that date. “I know something will take its place,” Little said on Idaho Public Television’s “Idaho Reports.”

The State Board meets Monday afternoon.

 

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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