Schools statewide to close for two weeks
SHENANDOAH – Schools locally and across the state will be closed for the next two weeks, following an order by Governor Tom Wolf.
Shortly after the individual schools Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency announced a similar closure, Governor Wolf announced all K-12 schools would be closed for 10 business days. This includes Shenandoah Valley, North Schuylkill, and Mahanoy Area.
Wolf said that no school district would be penalized for failing to meet a 180 day or school hours requirement this year.
“We understand that these are trying times and recognize the impact of the coronavirus on our students and communities,” Wolf said in a media release. “First and foremost, my top priority as governor – and that of our education leaders – must be to ensure the health and safety of our students and school communities.”
Around 2:30pm, Mahanoy Area Superintendent Joie Green announced her district would be closed until March 30.
“The recent events surrounding the COVID-19 Corornavirus have made for difficult decisions on the national, state and local level. While there is an abundance of information available, guidance and direction have been limited,” she said. “With that being the case, we are left with trying to make the best decision possible, in areas that are not part of our expertise.”
Around the same time, North Schuylkill Superintendent Robert Ackell released a similar announcement.
As of a 5:00pm press conference by the PA Department of Health, no confirmed cases were in Schuylkill or any neighboring counties.
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