Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam ordered that all K-12 schools should be closed for a minimum of two weeks, after the number of confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the state reached 30 on Friday, March 13. 

Shortly following, FCPS announced that it will be closed for four weeks, including spring break, through Friday, April 10. 

FCPS will close schools through April 10, 2020. Please see Superintendent Brabrand’s latest message for details: https://t.co/r2hFW1BMuh.

— Fairfax Schools (@fcpsnews) March 13, 2020

Professional development day on Monday, March 16, will be postponed; however, schools will be open for student and staff to access their belongings and online learning materials such as laptops. 

Students felt that the closure was necessary to keep the students and staff safe.

“I was just so shocked and I didn’t know how to react,” junior Emily Chen said. “But I’m happy that we have some safety measures.” 

To keep students on track for the learning curriculum, FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand suggested that schools will provide online learning for students, per Virginia Department of Education’s recommendation.

“We will promote digital and online resources to FCPS students that will help student learning continue,” Brabrand said on an email sent to FCPS community. “This work will not be required nor graded.”

The March SAT administration in FCPS was cancelled, and the closure’s effect on students’ grades is still unknown. 

“I just hope that our online learning will keep us on track for end of year exams,” sophomore Songhan Pang said. “I also feel that closing school at the end of third quarter will be stressful for many students, as some grades still haven’t gone in. Hopefully there’s more updates on the new schedule soon.”