Public and private schools in Washington state are barred from in-person instruction for the rest of the academic year, Gov. Jay Inslee said in an announcement on Monday.

"We simply cannot take the chance of re-opening on-site instruction in this school year," Inslee said in a news conference Monday afternoon. "This school closure is part and parcel of [the] efforts not only to flatten the curve as it goes up, but to reduce the number of deaths that occur as it goes down," he said.

The governor informed superintendents around the state of the decision in a conference call this morning.

In his announcement to the media, Inslee did leave the door open for in-person instruction for students who face the most challenges, including those learning English, and students with disabilities.

"We are addressing this by allowing limited school activity for those students in school buildings that really follow social distancing guidelines similar to the Department of Health guidelines for child care," Inslee said, and asked "school and community leaders to help us in ensuring access for these students."

"These are difficult times, and this is a tough day for us in Washington state," said Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, who appeared alongside the governor. "While learning is paramount duty to the state, the health of our people is first and foremost," Reykdal said.

In Washington, the governor had closed all K-12 schools beginning March 17 until April 27.

But Reykdal had predicted in a video to families released Friday that school was unlikely to return to session in-person until the fall.

In the video, Reykdal tried to reassure families that students would recover from this break in their usual education. Even if schools stayed closed for the remainder of the school year, Reykdal said, doing math on a white board, students would only lose 2.4 percent of their K-12 education, maximum.

“I don’t intend for it even to be a percent,” Reykdal said.

Along with the distance learning he directed districts to begin last week, he said, his department intends to work with the state legislature and Governor Inslee to “figure out how to add additional hours next year, and perhaps the year after that, to try to make sure that instruction happens for everybody.”

Governor Inslee told high school seniors that if they were on track to graduate, they have nothing to fear. "If you're a senior in good standing, we expect that you will receive your diploma this year," he said.

He did not discuss what would happen for the many seniors in more precarious positions, who often rely on considerable assistance from teachers and school counselors to fulfill their final credits or re-take classes in order to receive their diplomas.

The governor entertained the notion that graduation ceremonies may be possible at the end of the school year. "We're going to explore that option as the evidence continues to come in," Inslee said. "That opportunity will be guided by our collective behavior and the success we achieve with the choices that we're making today."

"We had been hoping to reopen our schools, but there is a new way of doing school now, at least for the rest of this year," said Seattle Public Schools spokesperson Tim Robinson. "That's with our families as co-educators and partners."