James Sellinger, chancellor of education for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, announced March 25 that Catholic schools will be closed through April 24, extending a closure period that began March 16 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sellinger’s announcement came after Gov. Larry Hogan and Maryland State School Superintendent Dr. Karen Saloman said Maryland public schools will extend their closures until April 24.
“We’re making decisions based on science and facts,” Hogan said. He also hinted that he prefers not to shut down schools for the remainder of the year.
Hugo Mattheiss, whose daughter is a seventh grader at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Baynesville, said he thought closing the schools was “a good idea” even though he believes it may create hardships for some families.
“If we’re going to implement a quarantine, you don’t want kids gathering in a confined area,” he said. “It’s a good place for a germ breeding ground and you don’t want them to bring it home to parents and grandparents.”
Many Catholic schools have been using remote learning while their students are home.
In the Archdiocese of Baltimore, a school calendar consists of 178 days of instruction. There are 170 days required by the State of Maryland. Because of the unique mission of Catholic schools, the Archdiocese of Baltimore requires five additional student days.
Maryland currently has 423 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus, five of which are under the age of 18. Over the past 24-hours, Maryland has seen 74 new cases of the virus, the highest one-day total to date. Four deaths have also been reported.
According to the Archdiocese of Baltimore website, there are some 25,000 students enrolled in 45 elementary and middle schools and 19 high schools in Baltimore City, Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Harford, Howard and Washington Counties.
For more information about the archdiocesan response to the coronavirus pandemic, click here.
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