On Friday, Gov. Tony Evers directed all public and private schools to shut down no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, but districts could choose to close sooner. The Madison School District had been planning to hold classes Monday and Tuesday, in part to give parents extra time to arrange child care solutions.

But Sunday’s order means students won’t be going to school Monday and will not return until April 6 at the earliest.

La Follette High School Principal Devon LaRosa notified parents in an email to parents Sunday night he would be in self-quarantine through March 25 as “a precautionary measure” based on a recommendation from Public Health Madison and Dane County.

“As many of you are aware, I currently live in Rockford, Illinois, commuting to LaFollette High in Madison each day. Because Illinois is a state that is impacted with confirmed reports of more than 10 cases of COVID-19, I have been notified by the district and advised to self-quarantine for 14 days,” LaRosa said.

“Schools play a crucial role in providing nutrition and other critical services to students, but they also pose a risk to children and staff with underlying health conditions,” Heinrich said. “Closure can reduce the impact of community spread of COVID-19.”