Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has ordered all Illinois public and private schools to be closed from now until March 30, he announced at a press conference on Friday afternoon.
As of now, day care centers will remain open and will follow strict health and safety guidance, a press release said.
The announcement was confirmed by local officials, including Champaign Unit 4 and Rantoul City Schools.
Parents in Mahomet-Seymour Schools received a voice mail from their superintendent.
Champaign Unit 4 Schools families received the following message via phone: “As of Friday, March 13, at 3:30 pm, the state has mandated all public and private schools closed, from Tuesday, March 17 through March 30, due to the Covid-19 public health crisis. At Unit 4, this will include all district events, practices, and the kids plus program.” District administrators had been working on plans to prepare for this, including plans for at-home learning and food distribution.
From the Rantoul City Schools Facebook update: “The governor has mandate school closure from now until March 30th. We are working on a plan to ensure continued free breakfast and lunch starting March 23rd – after spring break. We will keep everyone posted on the details soon. The governor will make the school closure announcement at 4pm.”
This is an evolving story that we will continue to update. Here is the entire press release from the governor’s office.
For more on closures related to COVID 19, visit our larger article.
A reminder: it’s OK to be sad. This is a huge moment in time.
