In an unprecedented move Tuesday, Gov. Laura Kelly ordered all K-12 schools in Kansas to cease their operations for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“This situation has evolved rapidly and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future,” Gov. Kelly said.
The order comes just days after school districts across the state decided to temporarily close in hopes of eventually reconvening.
Once school buildings are thoroughly sanitized, then some of them can open to small groups. Kelly says the pandemic cannot be controlled statewide if schools return to normal operations.
A task force formed by Kelly will release more information at 5 p.m. Wednesday on their recommendations. The recommendations will include their plan for teachers on what they will be doing going forward. The task force will be working to find the appropriate accommodation for each grade level.
Other states, such as Wisconsin, have already closed K-12 schools for the remainder of the school year.
Along with the closure, state employees will be asked to stay home on administrative leave for two weeks starting Monday.
Brandon Peoples and Derek Simmons contributed to this story.
