Florida schools to stay closed through May 1

‘Distance learning’ that began Monday to stretch until April

Florida’s public schools will remain closed through May 1, with students continuing the “distance learning” that began Monday at least until then, state officials said Tuesday.

School districts in Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole announced the extended closures late Monday after a conference call with Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.

The Florida Department of Education on Tuesday announced schools would be closed through May 1 to match with federal recommendations for a voluntary national shutdown through April 30.

The school closures are part of Florida’s efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, which has infected more than 6,300 people statewide and killed 77.

“While we certainly miss our students, their safety, and the health of our community, remains of critical importance,” the Osceola school district wrote on its Facebook page.

Previously, public schools had been closed at least until April 15. That decision came March 17, when Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered all schools to shut down.

The Florida Department of Education said in its March 17 guidance that all public and private schools need to close and that “remote” or “distance learning” — mostly online lessons — should begin on public school campuses by March 30. It also said the school year could be extended through the end of June.

In a statement Tuesday, the department said it wanted all public and private schools closed through Friday, May 1. Corcoran said distance learning would continue for another month and that he’d been impressed with the districts’ efforts to teach students who could no longer come to campuses.

“Students can and will continue to receive a great education in Florida. It is essential that students do not fall behind and are still receiving instruction, even when they are not in the classroom,” he said. “Florida has superb superintendents and educators whose commitment to implementing distance learning for all of Florida’s students is unmatched.”

RICARDO RAMIREZ BUXEDA/ORLANDO SENTINEL Dave Hammond works on a laptop in his Orlando backyard Monday. He and his wife, Kate, are both teachers at Southwest Middle School in Orange County.