Indiana’s more than 1 million K-12 students will finish the school year from home.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick on Thursday directed all schools to remain closed through the end of current school year in response to the continuing spread of COVID-19. Schools will, though, have to continue providing instruction remotely.

Several weeks ago, there had been hope that students may be able to return for the final weeks of the spring semester — with most schools set to end late May or early June. On March 19, exactly two weeks ago, Gov. Eric Holcomb directed schools to close through at least May 1, but called the potential for students to return a “miracle.”

Over those weeks, the virus has continued to spread. This week was the deadliest so far, with 13 new deaths reported Thursday by the Indiana State Department of Health for a total of 78 people. More than 3,000 people in Indiana have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Indiana became the 11th state to close schools for the remainder of the academic year.

Indiana coronavirus updates:Total cases break 3,000, 13 more reported deaths Thursday

So, while the announcement wasn't necessarily a surprise for most families, it was heard with mixed emotions.

Melody Barber-Hence said her daughter, a sophomore at Pike High School, has been doing OK with remote learning but the family is looking for summer learning opportunities.

"I've got to know new things about her that I would have never known," Barber-Hence said. "She misses her friends deeply, especially as an only child."

The closure means kids will finish this school year from their homes, learning through virtual classrooms or other means – like paper packets.

Even as schools attempt to keep students learning, this closure will stretch into what will, in essence, be the longest summer of students lives and there are concerns about how this extended absence from schools will impact students’ academic progress.

McCormick said Thursday that state officials are cognizant of those concerns and the challenges facing schools, teachers and families. Schools will be required to submit plans for how they'll deliver remote learning for the remainder of the semester — whether online or otherwise — later this month to the state.

The question of what closures would mean for high school seniors was answered, though. As long as they continue to participate in their current courses, high schools seniors will get credit for those courses regardless of their final grade.

Provided students had already met the rest of their diploma requirements, they'll be able to graduate on time, McCormick said. Students still needing to pass a graduation requirement exam will have that requirement waived.

"Our goal is to get you across that stage," she said.

But there likely will be no actual graduation stage.

The closure of schools means the cancellation of many milestones, from prom and high school graduations to end-of-year field trips.

"I hate it for the fifth graders..." Jason Mueller, a physical education teacher at Walnut Grove Elementary School, said, "because there will be no closure for them on their elementary years. No end-of-year field trip, no fifth grade celebration.

"I miss seeing the kids' smiling faces every day."

'Tremendous blow'

It’s still unclear exactly what this will mean for students as they return to school buildings, whenever that may be. State officials haven’t said, yet, if students could be brought back to make up some of the time over the summer or start next school year earlier than usual.

Doing so would likely take extra state dollars. Most, if not all, school districts have continued to pay all of their employees – whether they’re working or not – so most would likely not be able to afford a full-scale summer school program.

The state, so far, has not directed any more money to schools as they work to transition learning from brick-and-mortar classrooms to virtual spaces, seemingly overnight.

McCormick said the needs vary from district to district. The continuous learning plans schools will be submitting should give the state more information, she said, on what schools need.

Lawrence Township Schools has moved much of the district's instruction online already. Shawn A. Smith, superintendent of schools for the district, said they're making the best of "a less than ideal situation."

"Without a doubt, this is a tremendous blow to our students, families and staff members," Smith said. "Our senior class also immediately comes to mind.

"But that said, it is the right thing to do to collectively commit to flattening to curve and to combat the continued spread of this virus."

Schools still adjusting

Earlier this week, Indianapolis Public Schools said that it would continue to pay all of its employees, even if students did not return to school this academic year. It’s unclear if other districts will follow suit.

The Indiana Department of Education, in recent guidance to schools, said that there had been no state-level conversations about adjusting tuition support – the money schools receive from the state.

Even with virtual learning plans in place, most school districts will not complete a full instructional year.

Holcomb had already given schools statewide a 20-day waiver from the requirement that schools meet for 180 instructional days.

McCormick said Thursday that schools will be expected to operate within that waiver and provide at least 160 days of instruction. Those that won't hit that benchmark, she said, will need to provide at least 20 days of instruction between when school were closed March 19 and the end of the school year.

McCormick added that the vast majority of schools are already doing some sort of learning activity and the department is now working with those that aren’t to get all districts offering some sort of home learning.

Some districts transitioned easily into virtual learning, while others have struggled with a lack of digital devices or trouble getting all of their students access to high-speed internet.

Indianapolis Public Schools has, so far, created paper learning packets for its students to take home. It is working on a plan, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said during a school board meeting Tuesday, to implement a more robust learning plan when spring break ends this week.

The district doesn’t have enough digital devices for all students, but will start delivering them to high school students next week. While they’re working on learning plans for all students, high school students in credit-bearing courses are the first priority, Johnson said.

Testing already canceled

One thing that teachers and students won’t have to worry about as they navigate the rest of the year from home is testing.

Holcomb previously announced the cancellation of all state testing — including the ISTEP10, ILEARN and IREAD-3 assessments — originally set to be given later this spring.

The U.S. Department of Education, which requires standardized testing at certain grades, is awarding testing waivers to states that apply for them because of coronavirus disruptions. Indiana’s has already been granted.

The state has also received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for some provisions of the federal school meal program. That has allowed school districts to offer grab-and-go meals to kids, ensuring those who rely on school for free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches continue to have access to healthy food.

Last month, McCormick said that 94% of school districts have some sort of food assistance in place already and the state is working to ensure those programs can continue.

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Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at 317-201-5620 or email her at Arika.Herron@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.