Maryland schools will remain closed for an additional four weeks, through April 24, State Superintendent of Schools Karen B. Salmon announced on Wednesday.
Speaking at a State House news conference, Salmon said the decision followed “lengthy discussions with health experts from around the state.”
“We do not make this decision lightly,” she said, “however with the challenges facing the state and our country, we have a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of our school communities and the community at large.”
Salmon said it’s too soon to know whether schools will be able to reopen on April 27, the following Monday.
Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) said he supported the decision to extend the closure. He characterized the notion of reopening in four weeks as “aspirational,” depending on the progress of fighting the COVID-19 outbreak in the state.
That decision sent local systems scrambling to set up remote learning, with some systems having the resources and personnel to move more quickly than others.
The decision to keep schools closed another four weeks came one day after the Maryland State Board of Education voted to keep Salmon on the job indefinitely. She had announced plans to retire on June 30.
WE WILL HAVE MORE COVERAGE OF THIS DEVELOPING STORY LATER IN THE DAY.
Bruce DePuyt
Reporter
Bruce DePuyt is a contributor to Maryland Matters, where he was a full-time reporter until December 2022. Previously, DePuyt spent nearly three decades on local television, including 14 years as producer and host of “NewsTalk” on NewsChannel 8 in the Washington, D.C., region. He was a reporter and anchor on “News 21” in Montgomery, where he also served as producer and host of “21 This Week.” He then became a reporter and anchor at NBC affiliate WVIR in Charlottesville, Va. He appears occasionally on WTOP (103.5 FM), WAMU (88.5 FM) and MPT.
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