California governor closes schools for the remainder of the year


On April 1, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced that schools would remain physically closed for the remainder of the academic year. Prior to the announcement, schools were closed statewide as a result of Newsom’s shelter-in-place order beginning March 20. Local school officials were responsible for determining school closures before the March 20 order.

Nine states have closed schools for the remainder of the academic year: Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Vermont, and Virginia.

Iowa is the only state that has not issued a statewide school closure order in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Iowa school closures are left up to local officials rather than ordered by the state.

Additional Reading:
School closures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020