Seattle Public Schools To Close Due To Coronavirus

SEATTLE, WA — Seattle Public Schools will close for at least two weeks starting Thursday in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, the district said Wednesday.

"The decision to close was made because a growing number of factors have made it impossible for the district to operate normally," the district said in a statement.

Those factors include the region's growing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and the the increasing number of schools that need to be deep-cleaned each day because of potential COVID-19 contact, the district said.

The district also cited the ban on large group gatherings and mandatory social distancing announced by Gov. Jay Inslee earlier Wednesday. The Lake Washington and Bellevue school districts also said Wednesday they would close through at least March 27.

"Because of the size of virtually every SPS school’s student population, SPS cannot meet those limits and continue to effectively operate," the district said.

To develop a plan for reopening, Superintendent Denise Juneau will work with the Centers for Disease Control, Gov. Inslee's office and local public health officials, according to the district.

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"Closing schools is the last thing we ever want to do, but, obviously, this is an unprecedented situation for Seattle Public Schools, the city and the world," Juneau said in a statement. "The health and well-being of our students and staff is one of our top priorities and that’s a primary reason for the decision, but it’s also because of the potential wide reach COVID-19 can have given the size of our school district."

The district will provide meals for students who depend on their school's meal services, SPS said, saying a plan for that will be announced in the coming days.

On Tuesday, South Seattle's Aki Kurose Middle School closed indefinitely and Cleveland STEM High School closed temporarily after an Aki Kurose staff member tested positive for COVID-19. That prompted students at nearby Franklin High School to stage a protest, saying their school should have been closed as well, according to KUOW.

At a press conference Wednesday morning, Gov. Inslee announced the state will ban public gatherings of more than 250 people through at least the end of March. Smaller gatherings will also be banned in King County if organizers cannot comply with social distancing orders, County Executive Dow Constantine said.

This developing story will be updated.

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