On April 16, the Governor issued Executive Order #28, which extends the Safer-at-Home order to May 26.
The Safer-at-Home Order closes school buildings for in-person student instructional purposes through the end of the 2019-2020 school year, which ends on June 30. The order does not change a school’s final attendance day for students.
The order does not preclude school buildings from remaining open in order to accommodate virtual instructional planning for staff, to operate a child care program (that adheres to the COVID-19 rules in place per DCF/DHS), or to distribute free meals or take-home instructional packets, among other purposes. Any school building that remains open for purposes other than direct student instruction should follow the DHS orders in place and practice social distancing.
The extended closure has an impact on Choice school deadlines. Act 185 signed by the Governor on Wednesday, April 15 addresses many of those issues.
Thanks to that law, Choice schools will not need to request a waiver for 2019-20 hours of instruction. Further, in a meeting with WCRIS this morning, the DPI said it will issue a blanket waiver for all private schools. The DPI also said it is sending an email announcement to schools regarding the Choice program deadlines.
The Governor’s extended school closure order is a game-changer for helping children learn. It has a huge impact on the families whose tuition funds our schools.
An education economist predicted the impact of such closures on private K-12 schools and offers some valuable insights on how private schools can adjust and survive. Take a few moments to read the memo. It will be an enormous help to your school as you plan this transition.
The new order does not affect the Department of Health Services (DHS) executive order that limits child care facilities. A child care center may not operate with more than 10 staff present at a time and may not operate with more than 50 children present at a time.
