JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced Mississippi schools will be closed until April 17.
On Thursday, Reeves announced he signed an executive order closing all schools as the coronavirus continues to spread.
He said the closure will give the state a four week period to evaluate the latest findings, but said it wasn’t any easy decision.
“In my nearly 17 years of serving the public it is perhaps the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.”
He said understands how hard it is for families when schools are shutdown, but said he believes it is in the best interest of all Mississippians.
School leaders are looking for innovating ways to make sure kids are still learning during this time.
He also said that end of the year testing and accountability measures will be relaxed. School districts and teachers will get paid on time.
On March 16, Reeves canceled classes across the state through March 20, saying he and the state’s pandemic response team would meet later in the week to make a decision about future plans.
Many of Mississippi’s universities have already chosen to suspend most in-person classes and go to an online format for the the foreseeable future.
Reeves declared a state of emergency on Saturday, March 14.