Hillsborough Schools To Remain Closed Through March 30

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Due to concerns over coronavirus, the Florida Department of Education is directing all schools across the state, including Hillsborough County public schools, to close for two weeks.

The Hillsborough County School District is already taking spring break from March 16 to 20. As mandated by the DOE, the schools will be closed an additional week, March 23 to 27. This directive includes charter schools.

The Hillsborough school district said it plans to reopen schools on Monday, March 30.

The school district has also canceled all extracurricular activities for the next two weeks.

Don't miss updates about precautions in Florida as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

While the schools are closed, the district will be doing a thorough cleaning of all school facilities.

Teachers and district staff have been updating Edsby and Clever with classroom and grade-specific assignments. These assignments will be accessible to students online starting March 23.

The district will provide eLearning contingency plans to students the week of March 23 to 27.

Each grade level will have access to specific videos, assignments and activities. If assistance is needed, students and parents can communicate through the online platforms with their teachers.

For those who do not have Internet, Spectrum will provide free Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with kindergarten through 12th-grade and college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription. Installation fees will be waived for new student households.

To enroll, call 1-844-488-8395.

Since this mandate was just announced, the district is still determining which staff members will be asked to work during this time. Once a decision has been made, the district will contact the impacted staff.

In addition, the state has announced it will delay the start of state testing by at least two weeks.

Following spring break on March 23, new procedures will be implemented for any student or staff member who has traveled out of the country or gone on a cruise within the past 14 days, believes he or she may have been in contact with a person who has tested positive for coronavirus or believe he or she has symptoms of coronavirus (fever, cough or shortness of breath).

For more information on the new procedures, visit the school district's website.

Related stories:

• 25 New Coronavirus Cases In Florida; 3rd Person Dies
• Interactive Map: Latest US Coronavirus Cases
• Florida Governor Declares State Of Emergency Over Coronavirus