Sarasota County Schools to close the week after spring break

Sarasota County Schools will remain closed for an extra week after next week’s scheduled spring break, the school district announced today.

Students will now be out of school through March 27. The directive to cancel classes came during a statewide phone call with the governor’s office and the Florida Department of Education, the district said in a release. Manatee County schools likewise will remain closed.

The district also said all extracurricular activities, including field trips and athletics, are canceled until further notice effective March 16.

Some school staff may still work the week of March 23, the release stated.

The district also shared a Department of Education advisory that anyone who has traveled out of the country or on a cruise must self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to schools. The policy applies to both staff and students; for students, any missed days will be considered excused absences.

Earlier this week, the school district said it was working to identify students who may need a laptop or other technological support in case there is a transition to a home-based learning system.

The district said it would share additional information from the state as available.

The Observer is collecting and regularly updating a list of local events that have been canceled or postponed because of coronavirus concerns