The majority of governors in the United States have ordered or recommended that statewide school closures continue for the rest of the academic year to help reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Several states have announced their plans to begin lifting social distancing measures and the federal government has issued new guidelines to reopen the country in phases but it doesn’t appear that students may return to the classroom.
Twenty-six states — including Florida, Texas and Washington — as well as Washington, DC, have issued orders that will keep students at home, according to a CNN tally of school closures.
“It’s obviously not the ideal situation, but given where we are in the school year, we felt that that was the best, best decision to go forward,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters on Saturday.
Other states have recommended that local officials continue supporting students through distance learning models. Those states are California, Idaho, Maine, South Dakota and Tennessee.
These orders and recommendations impact approximately 33.2 million public school students, according to Education Week
States with mandatory closures
Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
Arizona
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
Source