In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, Governor Brian Kemp has ordered all K-12 Georgia public schools remain closed until April 24. This move affects nearly two million schoolchildren across the state. While the original order mandated that schools be closed from March 18 to March 31, many districts in the metro Atlanta and north Georgia areas had already extended their closures. 

Kemp could further extend the closure of schools if the coronavirus pandemic worsens. As of noon on March 26, Georgia has over 1,500 confirmed cases and nearly 50 deaths linked to the virus. 

Many districts across the state have transitioned students to remote learning, often through the use of the internet or paper packets. The Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods decided earlier this month to suspend standardized state testing that would have begun in April.  

The University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia will remain closed for in-person instruction through the rest of the semester since students have already transitioned to all online learning.

To support K-12 remote learning, GPB Education has partnered with the Georgia Department of Education to launch gpb.org/learn, a site that offers a wealth of free digital learning resources for teachers, students, and parents. GPB Education is also offering a number of professional development webinars every week and a daily e-newsletter. GPB-TV has adjusted its weekday programming schedule to provide educational television from 6 am to 6 pm.