Jesus Jara, the superintendent of the Clark County School District, speaks with Nevada Gov. Sisolak during a press conference to announce the closing of K-12 schools in the state out of COVID-19 concerns at the Grant Sawyer State Building on Sunday March 15, 2020.
Published Sunday, March 15, 2020 | 3:08 p.m.
Updated Sunday, March 15, 2020 | 4 p.m.
Nevada’s K-12 schools will be canceled until April 6 out of concerns for the spreading coronavirus.
“I realize that this will cause hardships and complications for our families, our students and our school staffs,” Gov. Steve Sisolak said when making the announcement. “I assure you, we have not reached this decision lightly.”
The announcement ends a week of complaints from educators, administrators and families, all of whom urged Clark County School District leadership to reconsider keeping schools open because of the risk of spreading the virus.
Those complaints, including an online petition to cancel classes, prompted superintendent Jesus Jara to issue a statement Saturday detailing the CCSD plan for safety and sanitation. It also said school would continue as scheduled.
That changed less than 24 hours later.
“Over the last 48 hours, we have watched it become increasingly clear that there is need for additional measures for social distancing for containment of the virus,” Sisolak said.
Schools will close starting Monday, and will stay closed until April 6 at a minimum. Sisolak said schools will not reopen until the state chief medical officer evaluates the situation and gives permission. The closures, he said, apply for public, charter and private schools.
“We will continue to be in constant contact with superintendents, teachers and parents and will provide … information on the timeline as it becomes available,” he said.
Sisolak said district superintendents will work with the state superintendent to work on food security for students and on a way to continue education outside of school.
“I would also encourage all our employers to provide flexibility and special scheduling considerations to employees with school-aged children as their families work through this process,” Sisolak said.
Jara said CCSD does not have the capability to transition to a fully online form of instruction. CCSD leadership is discussing whether or not to add days to the end of the school year with the state superintendent, he said.
Nevada is not the first state to cancel K-12 schools. There have been 22 others, including Washington, Maryland and Virginia. Closures of other gatherings have taken place as well. Around the country, states and municipalities have put a cap on the size of public gatherings, while states like Ohio and Illinois have said restaurants must move to drive-in or delivery only and shut down bars entirely.
Major sports leagues, including the NBA, NHL and MLB, have suspended or postponed their seasons. In Las Vegas, many conventions have canceled and hotels on the Strip are shutting down nightclubs and buffets.
Sisolak, in ending his remarks, said that Nevada will rally and push through the spread of the virus.
“Nevada is unique state. We are different than any other state. We are tougher than any other state,” Sisolak said. “We will get through this together.”
