Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 4-24-20

Feature
Schools To Remain Closed Through End Of Year
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Saturday, Governor Ron DeSantis ordered all schools across the state to re- main closed until the end of the school year. The students will continue using eLearn- ing to complete their assign- ments in Hillsborough County. Teachers will con- tinue to work daily to provide high quality virtual experi- ences for all learners.
The state is following guidance from the Florida Department of Health and the CDC (Center for Disease Control) to continue social distancing.
The ruling will affect schools in the following man- ner:
• All schools – traditional
and charter – will be closed through May 29;
• School buildings will re- main closed to the public in- definitely pending guidance from the Governor’s Office; • All extra-curricular activi- ties and sports will be can- celed for the remainder of the school year;
• All meal services for stu- dents will continue at school sites and through commu- nity routes.
Hillsborough County School Superintendent Ad- dison Davis said, “I be- lieved in my heart that it was likely we would not return to our school campuses for the remainder of the year, but that doesn’t make it easy to hear the official announce- ment from the state. I con- tinue to be impressed by the
ADDISON DAVIS Hillsborough County School District Superintendent
resilience of all teachers, sup- port staff, school and dis- trict-based leaders, and the willingness to create special moments for students during eLearning. I look forward to returning to a new level of
normalcy soon.”
Students throughout the
district will continue their eLearning schedule, working with their teachers to com- plete assignments and as- sessments online.
Anyone wishing to learn more about the district’s comprehensive eLearning plan can visit the website at www.HillsboroughSchools.o rg/coronavirus.
The district has also worked with select seniors, school-based leaders, and district staff to develop mul- tiple options for school grad- uations. All May graduation ceremonies have been can- celed. However, the district proactively worked with the Florida State Fairgrounds to secure alternate dates in July.
The district is currently refining some plans and con- siderations as it relates to summer learning.
Ms. Tanya Arja,
spokesperson for the school district said, “We are work- ing to devise plans that offer both eLearning and brick- and-mortar education op- portunities depending on CDC guidelines.
“As we get closer to the end of the school year, our school staff will work with families to retrieve items stu- dents may have left at school before the closure. We will also devise a plan for families to return the laptops they checked out for eLearning.”
The most recent informa- tion can be found on the website at www.Hillsbor- oughSchools.org.
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