One day after telling WTMJ that individual school districts can make their own decision on how to handle closures in response to the spreading COVID-19 virus, Governor Evers is directing the Department of Health Services to mandate all K-12 schools to close.
In a statement, Evers says the closures for public and private schools will begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 18 to give districts, staff, students and parents time to plan for the closure. Districts will have the ability to continue virtual education during the closure.
Districts can close their doors earlier if they so choose. Milwaukee Public Schools, the Racine Unified School District and the Kenosha Unified School District announcing they will begin their closures on March 16.
Some on Friday announced had announced they are adding a week to their regularly scheduled spring break. Others announced they would close for four weeks, keeping buildings empty through Easter.
“Closing our schools is not a decision I made lightly,” says Evers, “but keeping our kids, our educators, our families, and our communities safe is a top priority as we continue our work to respond to and prevent further spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin.
“Kids and families across Wisconsin often depend on our schools to access food and care. We are going to continue working to do everything we can to ensure kids and families have the resources and support they need while schools are closed.”
The first day districts can reopen is April 6, but a final decision will be made in early April depending on how the coronavirus continues to impact the state.
UPDATE 8:45 p.m. Friday:
Milwaukee Public Schools provided an update on their plans regarding the school closures due to the coronavirus Friday evening.
A complete list of locations where people can pick up instructional materials and meals is located here: Stop, Grab and Go locations