Superintendent address district students and families regarding state’s call to close schools to students for the remainder of the school year

Mat-Su Borough School District Superintendent Dr. Monica Goyette addressed local students and families during a video on social media Friday, a day after Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced that all schools across the state will be closed to students for the remainder of the school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What this means for the Mat-Su Borough School District students and families, we will continue with the remote delivery model of instruction through Thursday, May 21,” Goyette said. “Please know we’ve heard your concerns and we are trying to find the right balance between supporting and maintaining learning and not overwhelming families and students.”

Goyette said she urges parents to stay in contact with their children’s teachers.

Earlier this month, Goyette announced that all school activities had been canceled through the remainder of the school year. That list includes athletes and extracurricular activities, proms and graduations. This follows in line with state mandates regarding social distancing and limiting gatherings to less than 10 people. The district is shifting toward hosting virtual graduations for the class of 2020.

“I want to recognize we made decisions very early and quickly. We are all grieving the losses of what isn’t going to happen for the remainder of the year, especially graduations,” Goyette said.

Goyette said district officials expect to make decisions next week about summer programs. That includes summer school, special education, athletic camps and workshops.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced that all schools statewide will be closed to students for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic during a press conference Thursday evening in Anchorage.

State officials originally issued a mandate on March 11 that closed schools to students until May 1.

“We’re going to keep that suspension in place to the end of the school year,” Dunleavy said.

Dunleavy said state officials did not want to cause further disruption by waiting two or three more weeks to extend the mandate.

“The reason for this is we don’t know what this virus is going to do,” Dunleavy said.

School districts statewide have transitioned to remote education.

“Despite the need to extend school building closures, student learning will continue, per each school district’s individual plan, to provide distance-delivered educational services to students,” state officials said in the mandate issued Thursday.

Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at editor@frontiersman.com.