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Schools closed for rest of the year; MCS readies paper, online lessons
DeWine      Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday that Ohio’s K-12 schools will remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.

      DeWine said the COVID-19 infection curve has flattened “but remains dangerous.”

      “Ohio children will continue to go to school remotely for the balance of the school year,” the governor said.

      DeWine said he had talked to school superintendents who agreed that it probably would not be a good idea to return to classrooms “for the relatively small amount of time left.”

      The governor said there would be a significant health risk to students, teachers, parents and the community at large.

      Mansfield City Schools Superintendent Stan Jefferson said the board of education is expected to approve a contingency plan for distance learning during its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday. Board members will remain in their homes and the meeting will be live-streamed.

      Details of the contingency plan, which will apply to the end of school on June 1, will be announced on Wednesday.

      District teachers have prepared and distributed two lesson packets since March 16.

      Teachers in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade are preparing a third home-study lesson packet, this one for 15 days that will begin April 27. Information about distribution of the packets will be announced by mid week.

      On Monday, April 27, grades nine through 12 will switch to online learning and Chromebooks will be distributed to students. More information will be shared after the board meeting on Tuesday.

      The scheduled start of the 2020-2021 school year in August remains on hold.

      “As we move forward, no decision about the fall has been made yet,” the governor said. “We are not in a position yet to make that decision.”