April 17, 2020 – Illinois’ governor on Friday ordered schools throughout the state closed for the rest of the semester because of the lingering threat of the coronavirus.
Pritzker announced the action during his daily briefing, extending school closures past the April 30 date he had set earlier. As of Thursday, Illinois had recorded 25,733 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1,072 deaths blamed on the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The governor closed schools March 17 amid growing concern over the virus, idling more than 2 million children midway through the spring semester. A week later, he issued a statewide stay-at-home order, restricting people from going out except for necessities such as groceries and medicine.
The stay-at-home order was to last through March, but with the disease spreading rapidly, Pritzker extended it and the school closures through April. The Democrat has repeatedly dodged questions about whether he will extend the stay-at-home order beyond this month.
In recent weeks, schools have attempted instruction through internet-based assignments, or “e-learning.” But not every child has access to the internet at home. Anticipating the extended school closure, Pritzker’s office released a map showing public wi-fi “hotspots ” for schoolchildren who don’t have home internet access.
Read the following statement from DPS Superintendent Paul Fregeau:
The news we were anticipating has just come in, and we wanted to make you aware of it as soon as possible. Governor Pritzker announced this afternoon, schools across Illinois will stay closed through the end of the school year, as a precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But we want you to know – just because our school buildings are closed does not mean that school is over. DPS educators continue to go above and beyond to ensure our students have the resources and information they need to continue learning while at home. Our teachers and staff have done an incredible job navigating this unprecedented time, and we are committed to continuing to support our students’ educational needs.
We know you will have many questions about what this new order means for our staff and families – we will have those answers in the coming days and we appreciate your patience and support as we work through these challenging times. We are greatly appreciative of the entire DPS community, as you continue to demonstrate remarkable resolve.
Thank you all for the caring support of our students, staff, families, and community. #DPSFamily #DPSProud
Sincerely,
Dr. Paul Fregeau
Superintendent, Decatur Public Schools
Statement from IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors is scheduled to meet via video conference on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.At that meeting, the Board will make a final determination on the IHSA’s spring sport state tournaments based on the Governor’s announcement on April 17 that Illinois high schools will not return to in-person learning this school year. As we previously indicated, the cessation of in-person learning will make it difficult for the IHSA to conduct spring state tournaments this year. More information will be provided following Tuesday’s Board meeting.”
