Washington state students will school from home for months, at least

OLYMPIA, Wash. (NEWS 1130) – Millions of students in Washington state will spend the balance of the school year learning remotely as Governor Jay Inslee extends an order closing physical buildings, calling it one of many measures in place to halt the spread of COVID-19.

Students won’t be free of educational responsibilities, however, as districts across the state will be planning how to switch into remote learning. High school seniors who meet state requirements will be able to graduate in June, without the ceremony, and the state will work to keep this change from impacting grade point averages.

Districts are also being told to prepare for the possibility that such closures could continue into the summer.

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The evidence, Inslee says, is impossible to ignore — opening schools back up would hamper efforts to contain the virus. Those efforts include social distancing and an extended “stay home, stay healthy” order, which have been in place for weeks now.

“We cannot take the chance of opening on-site instruction during this calendar school year,” Inslee said.

So far, Inslee says models for his state are looking less grim, but that doesn’t mean people can become complacent.

Schools in Washington state have been closed since March 17th, a few weeks after the state recorded its first novel coronavirus-related death.