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Schools close Monday & Tuesday for teacher in-service; all other CBJ facilities remain open

March 13, 2020 – News

The Juneau School District will close schools for in-service teacher training on Monday and Tuesday, March 16 and 17. The closure will allow teachers to plan for educational needs during an anticipated shutdown due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The closure is not based on any specific concern about cases in Juneau or JSD schools. Alaska School Activities Association sanctioned activities will proceed as normal.

All other City and Borough of Juneau facilities will remain open and there are currently no plans to close them.

“I know this is hard, but the scientific evidence does not support facility closure at this time,” City Manager Rorie Watt said. “The best science will guide public action on management of Juneau’s facilities, and since Alaska does not have a community transmission COVID-19 case, we have no evidence that closing public facilities would be strategic. We are all, of course, watching very closely. A community transmission would call for more immediate action. We are in unprecedented times, and it is good that the school district is taking the time to plan for alternative ways to provide education. In the meantime, CBJ facilities are following the science and the guidance of public health officials.”

This is a rapidly evolving situation and CBJ will update the community as needed.

Watt encourages Juneau citizens to be kind to those in vulnerable populations by sharing resources and helping maintain a level of calm in the community. For more information on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), go to CBJ’s COVID-19 webpage at juneau.org/covid-19.

For more information, contact City Manager Rorie Watt at 586-5240 or [email protected].