Coronavirus prompts early end of school year

OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday that school campuses will remain closed the rest of the 2019-20 school year.

The executive order generally prohibits in-person instruction through June 19. Facilities remain accessible for limited use.

Many local school districts, including Cheney and Medical Lake, have already begun online instruction, offering curriculum content via special pages on their websites.

When contacted Monday, Lind-Ritzville Superintendent Don Vanderholm reserved comment until Tuesday.

“We will have a ton of learning moving forward during this process,” St. John/Endicott Superintendent Suzanne Schmick said in an email. “I’m just wanting to keep the focus of full support to the students, families, and staff during this time. We want to keep a positive outlook going forward.”