Maryland Schools To Close For Rest Of Spring: Coronavirus

Elizabeth Janney
Updated ·5 min read

MARYLAND — Public schools in Maryland will remain closed through the end of the 2019–2020 school year, State Superintendent of Schools Karen Salmon ordered Wednesday. The closure is necessary to ensure safety, she said.

Schools have been closed since March 16 due to the new coronavirus pandemic.

"After extensive discussions with the Maryland State Board of Education, the Maryland Health Department and additional health experts advising the governor," Salmon said, "I am convinced this is the appropriate decision in order to continue to protect the health and safety of our students, educators, staff and all members of school communities throughout Maryland."

Remote learning will continue, Salmon said, and each school system will identify ways to recognize seniors who are graduating, but must comply with the executive orders of the governor regarding social distancing. Currently, gatherings of more than 10 are prohibited, and Gov. Larry Hogan said Wednesday the state was not yet ready to reopen.

While the state is not yet prepared to begin the first phase of his plan for recovery, Hogan said that as long as Marylanders continue to follow guidance from public health officials, some restrictions would be eased. Effective at 7 a.m. Thursday, he said Marylanders could resume outdoor activities like tennis, boating, fishing and camping. Beaches and playgrounds at state parks will be open for walking and exercise.

"It will remain critical," Hogan said, that people "continue to practice physical distancing" to keep their fellow Marylanders safe.

Schools would not be included in the first phase of the reopening, Salmon said, but small group learning could be possible in later phases.

The Maryland Department of Education will release "Maryland Together: Recovery Plan for Education," drafted by local school superintendents and state education officials, to guide school communities through the process after the pandemic.

"This document lays the groundwork for the coming months as we maintain and improve online learning opportunities and identifies methods for recovering any lost instruction time that has occurred as a result of COVID-19," Salmon said. "The plan also establishes the foundation for school systems as they begin to consider how they will bring students and educators back into school buildings once they are able to in a safe way."

It does not include any mandates but "outlines a set of options and considerations" as well as "different methods of returning to school," she said.

For example, during the second phase of Maryland's reopening, students could be brought back in smaller groups on alternating days or weeks, with distance learning incorporated, Salmon said. Schools could also open for specific groups, such as those with disabilities or children who are learning English.

"Our plan identifies several sample schedules and calendar ideas" for continuing learning as the state begins to reopen, Salmon said.

Stage three of the governor's plan for reopening is when students could return to school buildings.

"Schools will restructure their day-to-day operations to be in concert with public health guidance," Salmon said. "Schedules for instruction, meals and transportation may all require modifications."

The guide was not prescriptive, she said. Decisions will rest with the school systems.

"Any return of students and staff to the classroom depends on the circumstances in each school system," Salmon said, "and local school systems will have the flexibility to adapt the model to best serve their needs."

While she agreed with the decision to close schools for the rest of the current academic year, President of the Maryland State Education Association Cheryl Bost said it was disappointing.

“Although this is the right decision for the safety and health of our students, educators, and state, today is a sad day," Bost said. "Educators miss our students. We wish we could see them, talk with them, laugh with them, and teach them in person. We wish we could say goodbye to them before the school year ends."

Bost, who is an elementary school teacher in Baltimore County, continued: "Instead, educators, families, and students will continue to do our best during this period of crisis distance learning, while knowing that we have a great deal of work to do now and moving forward. We must address the inequities within our community—whether of technology access for educators and students, food security, trauma care, or otherwise—that have been magnified by this crisis. We look forward to the day that we can return to our schools and the everyday joys, challenges, and work of educating our students."

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Here is a timetable of the various school-related developments through the coronavirus pandemic in Maryland:

Thursday, March 12 — School closures were announced after 17 people in the state tested positive for the virus, including the first case of community transmission. Salmon ordered schools closed March 16 to March 27 for disinfecting of schools and buses. People were advised to prepare for a prolonged closure.

Wednesday, March 25 — School closures were extended until April 24 to "flatten the curve." At the time, 423 people had tested positive for the virus in the state.

Friday, April 17 — Salmon extended the closures until May 15 and said it was unclear how long they would continue. By this point, 425 people in Maryland had died from the virus and 11,572 had tested positive.

Wednesday, May 6 — Salmon closed schools for the reminder of the 2019–2020 academic school year. As of Wednesday, she said the school system has fed more than 8 million meals to school children. State health officials report 1,338 Marylanders have died from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus. An additional 99 have COVID-19 listed as a cause of death on their death certificates. Statewide 28,163 people have tested positive for the virus.

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This article originally appeared on the Annapolis Patch