Texas Gov. Greg Abbott canceled this year’s STAAR tests on Monday while Dallas, Highland Park and Richardson officials said schools will be closed indefinitely.

Local school officials began informing the community of their plans late Monday, saying that after a conference call with state leaders, the fluidity of the COVID-19 crisis makes it unclear when it will be safe to re-open schools.

DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said he did not put a specific stop date on the closures as guidelines and updates regarding COVID-19 are updated at a quick pace. He said he plans to reevaluate where things stand frequently, perhaps every three weeks.

“Things are changing so fast,” Hinojosa said. “If I would have had to make this decision last week, it would have been different. So why commit to a time when you don’t even know what’s coming down.”

The uncertainty over how long schools will have to remain closed prompted Abbott to waive the requirements for this year’s State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness tests, which were to begin in the first part of April.

Annual student testing is required by federal law, so Texas must seek a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education.

“Your health and safety are top priorities, and the State of Texas will give school districts flexibility to protect and ensure the health of students, faculty, and their families,” Abbott said in a statement. “We will empower schools to make the best decisions to protect their communities from COVID-19.”

About 750 districts and public charter schools across Texas are closed while officials try to stop the community spread of COVID-19. Some districts plan to be closed at least until the end of March or early April.

Dallas, Highland Park and Richardson schools are on spring break this week.

Richardson officials said students will be able to log on to district-issued devices sent home with students to begin working on lessons beginning March 25.

DISD and Richardson districts will soon release details about where students will be able to receive meals during the extended break.

“We recognize the significant impact this extended closure will have on the entire community, especially for families who depend on the district for critical services,” DISD officials said in their statement.

DISD officials noted that teachers will be working with students on virtual learning opportunities but are working “around-the-clock” to ensure that students without internet are provided with technology and resources needed to continue their education.

Today, @dallasschools administration made the decision to close our schools indefinitely in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Board of Trustees offers our total support of this decision and stand ready to assist all government entities to help support our community. pic.twitter.com/88Pm46Waob — Miguel Solis (@MiguelForDallas) March 16, 2020

About 85% of DISD’s 154,000 students come from low-income families.

Along with having to navigate how to continue providing for students, school districts across the state are also working out logistics on how to continue paying staff.

On Sunday, for example, the Plano school board held an emergency meeting and voted unanimously to continue paying employees during the school closures in that district. Fort Worth trustees are expected to have an emergency meeting on Tuesday for a similar discussion.

Dallas officials expect to add a measure to the board’s regular meeting next week that will ensure pay for both hourly and salaried employees.

DISD’s Hinojosa said state leaders have indicated students and districts will not be penalized for the missed days. But what exactly that means and how much time — if any — will have to be made up is uncertain at this point.

Texas education commissioner Mike Morath issued a statement on Monday saying it is clear that this year’s STAAR can’t proceed as planned amid coronavirus-related disruptions. Some have worried that schools could be closed through the end of the academic year.

Morath reiterated that STAAR is an important tool that helps teachers assess how much students are learning.

“The educators we have been working with across the state remain concerned about the possible impact COVID-19 will have on student academic growth," he said. "TEA will continue to support them in every way we can, including ensuring the availability of free tools to diagnose student learning.”

Students, who start taking the test in the third grade, have a lot riding on STAAR during normal circumstances. The tests often determine if a child can be promoted to the next grade or even graduate from high school.

Schools and districts, in turn, are graded by the state on how well they are educating kids.

State officials have been reluctant to cancel such high-stakes testing in the past. During Hurricane Harvey, for example, officials did not pause STAAR for the Houston area that was greatly disrupted for weeks following the storm. However, Morath did waive state academic accountability for schools in that area.

Meanwhile, testing dates for the college-entrance SAT exams are on hold.

This past Saturday’s testing was canceled and was initially to be rescheduled for March 28. Another testing date was set for May 2. Both dates are now canceled, according to the College Board, which administers the tests.

The June 6 testing date is not yet canceled.

This is a developing story that’s being updated throughout the day.