Gov. John Bel Edwards said Monday he will order public schools to remain closed for the rest of the academic year because of the coronavirus pandemic, leaving major challenges for state and local education leaders attempting to provide distance-learning opportunities to nearly 720,000 students.

The decision means students will end the school year missing more than two months of traditional classroom instruction, although most New Orleans-area districts said they had at least some remote learning plans already in place that they could implement for the rest of April and May.

"Around the 20th of May is the last day you have school anyway. And it’s just not going to work by the time this is over," Edwards said during a press conference in Monroe. "It’s just not feasible to resume operation of our schools this academic year.”

The governor made his comments in Monroe after touring damage to the area from storms on Sunday. The decision comes a month after Edwards closed schools throughout Louisiana amid a host of restrictions against group gatherings aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

While Edwards and other public officials have pointed to signs in recent days that the moves are working, they've also cautioned that restrictions may need to remain in place longer in order to avoid another surge in cases and deaths. The state health department reported that known cases of coronavirus in Louisiana rose by 421 Monday to 21,016. As of Monday, 884 people in Louisiana who contracted the disease have died.

Edwards, who last week suggested that the move to shutter schools for the rest of the school year was likely, said he will issue a formal proclamation later this week after consulting with state education leaders. Students will not have to make up missed time, he said.

School leaders will now be faced with trying to assess where students stand academically, and how to address potential learning gaps.

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In the New Orleans seven-parish metro area, distance learning has happened in a piecemeal fashion as educators attempt to troubleshoot major issues, including a major "digital divide" in both rural and urban districts.

Some schools have been giving grades or marking attendance while students learn from afar, while other schools view the remote work as optional. It's been difficult to monitor whether students are completing printed out packets being sent home.

The state has already waived LEAP testing this year as well as the requirements that students be in school a certain number of days to advance a grade.

In a prepared statement, NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Henderson Lewis Jr. said Monday that the district had provided 10,000 laptops and 8,000 WiFi hotspots to students in need, as well as lessons and resources for schools, so more children have access to online learning.

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He also said he was working with school leaders to ensure parents receive updates on report cards, graduations and potential summer school options as they are finalized.

"We have been committed to supporting the whole child throughout this crisis and will remain committed through the last day of school, even if that last day of school this year will be at home," Lewis said.

St. Bernard Parish schools Superintendent Doris Voitier said teachers would consider the work the students are completing remotely along with the grades earned previously in the school year to arrive at a student’s final grade for this year, along with placement for next year.

The Archdiocese of New Orleans said Superintendent of Catholic Schools RaeNell Houston was in talks with Catholic school superintendents throughout the state to develop a school plan for the remainder of the year.

Jefferson Parish school officials did not respond to requests for comment. St. Tammany Parish school officials declined to comment.

Other area districts, along with the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest, an association that includes several private schools in the New Orleans area, either declined to comment or didn’t respond to requests Monday.

Statewide, at least 39 of Louisiana's 69 school districts began offering some form of distance learning, including videoconferencing, emails and assessments on homework after Edwards first announced he would be closing schools. But 29 school districts have offered no such plans.

Leslie Leavoy, the deputy state director for Democrats For Education Reform, said it was "imperative" other leaders follow Orleans Parish in an effort to make sure learning continues.

"Unfortunately, we are also seeing more affluent communities in the greater New Orleans area that are not stepping up to the challenge to provide the support and resources students need for online learning," Leavoy said. "I would urge these districts to develop a distance learning plan now before more time is lost."

Interim State Superintendent of Education Beth Scioneaux, in a letter to the governor Thursday, said all districts need a roadmap for addressing the shutdown of public schools. One major question is whether superintendents will push for an early start to the 2020-21 school year.

The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which sets policies for students statewide, will play a key role in offering guidance to local school districts on what they can and should do.

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Last week, the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, leaders of BESE and the Louisiana School Boards Association requested that Edwards act to shutter schools through the end of the year.

Still, the closures have left many parents in a bind.

Crystal Forte, who lives in Metairie and whose nine-year-old son attends J. C. Ellis Elementary, questioned the closings.

"Our state has been behind for many years, and this closure puts our children even further behind," said Forte, who also has a one-year-old son at home.

"I am doing the best I can to teach my child a home using the resources the schools have provided, however I do not pretend that I am a teacher," she said.

Staff reporters Sam Karlin and Sara Pagones contributed to this report.