Kansas is the first state to close schools for the rest of the academic year amid the coronavirus crisis

It was less than a week ago that Ohio became the first state to close schools for several weeks amid the global coronavirus pandemic. By Tuesday night, nearly 40 states had followed suit. And then Kansas became the first state to announce it was shutting down campuses for the rest of the academic year. California’s governor said it was likely it would happen there, too.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) announced at a news conference Tuesday in Topeka that she was issuing an executive order to close all state-accredited schools — including public, private and parochial campuses, affecting almost 500,000 students — through the spring semester.

“This was not an easy decision to make,” Kelly said. “It came after close consultation with the education professionals who represent local school boards, school administrators and local teachers. These unprecedented circumstances threaten the safety of our students and the professionals who work with them every day and we must respond accordingly.”