Coronavirus Latest: Philadelphia School District Indefinitely Closing Schools Until Further Notice
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia School District said Tuesday it is indefinitely closing its schools until further notice during the coronavirus pandemic. This comes a day after Gov. Tom Wolf announced schools will remain closed after extending the state's stay-at-home order for 33 counties through April 30, including Philadelphia.
The SDP is announcing the indefinite closure of its schools until further notice. It will observe Spring Break April 6-9 & be closed on April 10, Good Friday. The plan to loan a Chromebook to every K-12 District student is underway. For more info visit: https://t.co/w1DfSTkj1f
— Philadelphia Schools (@PHLschools) March 31, 2020
"Safeguarding the health and well-being of our students, our staff and the broader Philadelphia community is our highest priority. We will continue to work closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and other agencies to determine when it will be safe to reopen our schools," Philadelphia School District Superintendent Dr. William Hite said in a letter.
During this time, the school district will be loaning a Chromebook to every kindergarten through 12th-grade student who needs one for learning at home. The loaner program is free.
"If your child needs a Chromebook for learning at home, there's nothing you need to do at this time. Principals will notify families of the exact date when they can pick up Chromebooks from their child's school. There will also be other opportunities for families that miss the school distribution window," Hite said.
The number of coronavirus cases in the city has now topped 1,300.