Local school districts uncertain if closures will be extended

WOODBRIDGE,Va. (FOX 5 DC) - Schools across the country are currently closed and the fate of the remainder of the school year is in limbo due to the coronavirus.

School leaders in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia tell FOX 5 they are not quite sure at this point what lies ahead.

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In Prince William County, administrators say the closure could be extended depending on the situation and the school system is following state and federal guidelines regarding what’s next. That sentiment is being echoed across school districts in our area.

“I’m less concerned about my senior and more concerned about my sophomore,” said Trish Lang, a Woodbridge resident.

The Virginia state superintendent announced that the Virginia Department of Education will seek relief from federal and state requirements related to state-required testing including SOLs.  

The state superintendent is also directing staff to review state laws and regulations regarding graduation requirements to determine what steps must be taken to ensure that seniors who would otherwise graduate this spring are not denied diplomas.

The concern is also that testing requirements or lack of testing doesn’t impact schools’ accreditation.

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In Prince William County, details regarding future instruction expectations will be provided to students and teachers later this week.

Teachers in the county should not be assigning work to students this week as no new student work should be assigned or graded until at least March 27.