All K-12 schools in the state will be closed for 10 business days effective Monday, March 16, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced Friday afternoon.
No school district will be penalized if it doesn’t meet the 180 day or school hours requirement, according to Wolf.
The closure will include Slippery Rock Area School District. The district’s middle and high schools reside on Kiester Road across from Slippery Rock University. SRU has already extended its spring break until March 29, university administration announced on Wednesday.
“We understand that these are trying times and recognize the impact of the coronavirus on our students and communities,” Wolf said in a statement on the Pennsylvania governor’s website. “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.”
Wolf added that the Pennsylvania Department of Education announced Friday that it received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide meals to low income students at eligible schools.
“We will also work with schools to assist them with those plans,” Wolf said.
If schools in Pennsylvania close due to #COVID19, meals can continue to be served ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/nZk69WGOgZ
— PA Department of Education (@PADeptofEd) March 12, 2020
