Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that public and private school classrooms will remain closed for the remainder of the school year to avoid quickening the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
The decision, made with the advice of doctors and health officials, came alongside a series of executive orders intended to slowly reopen the state economy, relaxing restrictions on retail businesses, doctor’s offices, and public parks.
“The team of doctors advising us has determined it would be unsafe to allow students to gather at schools for the foreseeable future,” Abbott said.
The governor’s order applies to public, charter and private K-12 schools, as well as higher education institutions.
In order to receive state funding, school districts must provide some form of remote instruction through the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
The Texas State Teachers Association applauded a decision that “removes uncertainty for hundreds of Texas communities and, health experts say, will help slow the spread of the coronavirus. … Meanwhile, teachers will continue to work with their students to provide lessons and activities – remotely – as they have been doing for several weeks.”
Please refer to links below for local school district’s responses:
Little Cypress Mauriceville CISD
Orangefield ISD
