By Paul Hughes, Republican-American
HARTFORD — Gov. Ned Lamont has decided to keep public schools in Connecticut closed until at least May 20 to fight the spread of the coronavirus.
Lamont and Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona said Thursday that state officials in the meantime will determine whether schools can reopen to the state’s nearly 530,000 students.
“If students are sent to school prematurely, we could be sending them in harm’s way,” Cardona said. “We will not resume any school activity unless it is determined it is safe for everyone involved, including our students and teachers. Until that time, all efforts to provide distance learning should continue.”
Lamont and Cardona said the course of the coronavirus outbreak may make the resumption of classes inadvisable until the fall.
“We know we may need to cancel classes for the remainder of the year, and, while we’re not announcing that today, we are planning for the worst-case scenario,” Cardona said.
Lamont has advised based on state modeling that there will be a series of rolling peaks from mid-April through mid-May as the coronavirus outbreak moves through the state’s eight counties
The modeling shows the current wave of the pandemic fading out from late June to early July. Public health officials have also warned of a possible second and third wave of contagion.
“We are working closely with the Department of Public Health to make sure we don’t open schools and put people at risk,” Cardona said.
He said he is hesitant to call off the rest of the 2019-20 school year at this time in case developments over the next four weeks would allow schools to resume classes.
“The latest you’re going to hear about further cancellations would be right before May 20, but you probably would hear sooner if the decision is made to cancel further into the June, but also throughout the summer for summer school or for any compensatory planning,” Cardona said.
He said state officials want to give school districts and families ample time to plan.
Lamont initially ordered the 165 local and regional school districts to suspend classes through March 31. Then, he extended the shutdown through April 20 in a subsequent executive order.
The governor also exercised his emergency powers to waive a state law that sets the school year at 180 days.
