HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Department of Education addressed concerns and questions regarding continuing education Wednesday, as schools remain closed and could potentially stay closed the rest of the year.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, Pedro Rivera, says a lot of details needs to be worked out, and that schools cannot extend past June 30th, according to state statute.
Beginning Thursday schools can work with intermediate units to develop plans to continue education - whether it's online learning, paper and pencil instruction, or other alternatives.
"We are strongly urging school districts to not wait and to not stand on the periphery," Rivera said. "To really engage students and provide educational opportunities that could be provided today and will continue to support students in the event of prolonged school closures."
The Department recognizes resources vary from district to district. It said it's something it's continuing to figure out, so students can continue receiving a quality education.
"This is unlike any other circumstance that we've ever dealt with and have realized that as we evolve and learn as an agency, we're tweaking all of our policies, working with the general assembly and learning lessons from our other partners in Pennsylvania and beyond," Rivera said.
Earlier this month Governor Wolf announced the suspension of the 180-instructional day requirement.
High school seniors who are graduating have become a top priority. The Department said they should graduate on time.
"We've put a whole team on it to - really identify, look at federal and state law, and work on a pathway to allow those kids to graduate this year," Rivera said.
Schools are only closed until April 6th, with staff returning on April 7th and students returning April 9th. Some schools have made the decision to open after that.