INDIANAPOLIS, IN (WTVB) – All Indiana schools will remain closed until at least May 1, 2020.
Gov. Eric Holcomb Thursday announced new steps to combat the spread of COVID-19, including the prolonged closure of schools. He said the state may need to close schools for the rest of the year, but that decision would be made at a later date.
Holcomb also announced the cancellation of all state testing set to be given later this spring.
The governor did not go so far as to cancel school for the rest of the year. Kansas became the first state to take that step Tuesday.
All of the state’s public schools are now closed. Many districts have turned to online instruction to keep students on track but some have not — either due to connectivity issues or lack of access to digital devices in some households.
Previously, Holcomb had given schools a 20-day waiver from the state’s requirement that schools meet for 180 instructional days in a school year. Officials said that number could change.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick said the Indiana Department of Education would work with schools to ensure high school seniors graduate on time.
