BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has extended the state's closure of schools through April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying they will reopen no sooner than early May.
This closure, which expands on previous orders issued March 15 and 18, extends a week beyond most schools' scheduled spring vacation weeks.
"Ten days age, most people know that we ordered a three-week suspension of school operations at all public and private K-12 schools in Massachusetts from March 17 to April 6," Baker said. "Today, we are issuing an order—I just signed it—that will order all schools and all non-emergency child care programs to remain closed through April, reopening no sooner than Monday, May 4."
The order does not apply to residential special education schools.
Childcare options are still available to children of those designated as COVID-19 essential workforce members. To find more information about child care services exempt from the governor's order, click here.
The governor said more help was coming from the state to assist educators in modifying their plans to allow for remote education. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has requested that teachers "continue to develop and assemble high-quality educational materials to provide students with effective remote learning resources through the month of April."
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeff Riley said his department will be issuing guidelines to state school districts to help in their remote learning programs through April.
WBZ NewsRadio's Kendall Buhl (@KBuhlWBZ) reports
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