The governors of Kentucky and Ohio announced Monday that K-12 schools will remain closed and instruction will continue remotely for the remainder of this school year.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said during his daily press conference Monday that the state appears to have flattened the curve of COVID-19 cases. But the virus remains and sending students back to school remains a health risk.
Educators also advised DeWine that going back for a short time would not be a good idea.
DeWine said no decision has been made about the coming school year in the fall, but the governor urged school districts to continue planning.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told school superintendents in a call Monday that he recommended keeping schools closed the rest of the school year and to continue with non-traditional instruction, partner station WFPL reported. Beshear first recommended halting in-person instruction on March 16.
Many had expected the governor to make the call to extend the closure through the end of the 2019-2020 school year. On Sunday Kentucky reported its highest one-day jump in positive coronavirus cases as the state gradually made testing more widely available.
Ohio and Kentucky join Indiana on a growing list of states to cancel in-person instruction for the school year.
Aaron Payne of WOUB and Jess Clark of WFPL contributed reporting.
