Philadelphia Leaders Say They Had No Choice In Closing City Schools Due To Coronavirus Outbreak

Alexandria Hoff reports.

RESIDENTS TO TAKE COUNTY'SLOCK DOWN SERIOUSLY TO PREVENTTHE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.MORE ON THE CLOSING OFPHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.FRUSTRATED CITY, SCHOOLLEADERS SAY THEY WERE LEFTWITH ABSOLUTELY NO CHOICE.ALEXANDRIA MOVIES LIVE INSPRING GARDEN WITH WHETHERBECAME A VERY CONTENTIOUS NEWSCONFERENCE BY THE DISTRICT,ALEX.REPORTER: THIS IS NOTDECISION THEY WANTED TO MAKE.DISTRICT AND CITY OFFICIALSMADE THAT VERY CLEAR YESTERDAYTHEY DID NOT WANT TO ADD UNTOSTRAIN ON TO FAMILIES IN THISCITY WHO WOULD HAVE TO DEALWITH THE TWO WEEK SCHOOL CLOSEANOTHER.KEEP IN MIND THERE ARE OVER200,000 STUDENTS WHO ATTENDSCHOOLS IN THE PHILADELPHIASCHOOL DISTRICT, OVER 12,000,IN THE CITIES ARCHDIOCESESYSTEM.SO THIS WILL DEEPLY IMPACTHUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LOCALFAMILIES IN TERMS OF THE CHILDCARE, PERHAPS DEFINED MEALS,KIDS WOULD OTHERWISE HAVEPROVIDED AT SCHOOL AND SCHOOLDISTRICT IS A SAFE PLACE FORKIDS TO BE DURING THE DAY.THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WILLHAVE TO BE FIGURED OUT.ACCORD TO GO SUPERINTENDENTDOCTOR WILLIAM HITE, DECISIONTO CLOSE SCHOOLS FOR TWO WEEKSWAS NOT MADE DIRECTLY BECAUSEOF THE CORONAVIRUS SPREAD.SCHOOLS HAVE IN THE BEENDIRECTLY IMPACT BY THAT BUTBECAUSE OF STAFFING ISSUES,BECAUSE OF THE OTHERRESTRICTIONS, PLACED IN OTHERCOUNTIES.THEY HAVE TEACHERS WHO LIVE INMONTGOMERY COUNTY FOR EXAMPLEAND COULD NOT GET INTO TEACHTHESE CLASSES.TODAY WHEN THIS ANNOUNCEMENTWAS MADE IT WAS CLEAR THEREWAS FRUSTRATION.OUR KID ARE SAFER STAYINGIN SCHOOL.LET ME FINISH.THEY GET BREAKFAST.THEY GET LUNCH.THEY GET A SAFE PLACE TO BE.THEY GET HOMEWORK.THEY GET KNOWLEDGE.THEY HAVE AFTER SCHOOLACTIVITIES.SOMETIMES AFTER SCHOOL CARE.WE DIDN'T WANT TO CHANGE ALLTHAT.IT WASN'T A DECISION WE MADE.OUR KID ARE AS IMPORTANT ASKIDS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY ORANYWHERE ELSE.TO IMPLY THAT IS WRONG.IT JUST MAKES THINGS WORSE.I GET IT BUT PERCEPTIONIS.THER PERCEPTION, WHATEVERPERCEPTION IS REALITY IS WEWANTED TO KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN.BECAUSE OF THE DECISION MADEBY OTHER GOVERNMENT AND THEGOVERNOR WE CAN NOT DO THATAND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TOMAKE IT BETTER.THE PERCEPTION IS INACCURATE.OUR KIDS ARE IMPORTANT REPORTREPORT NOW THIS DOES IMPACTTHE ENTIRE STATE RIGHT NOWWHEN PRESS CONFERENCE WAS HELDTHE ENTIRE STATE SCHOOL SYSTEMHAD NOT BEEN SHUT DOWN BUT NOWIT HAS BEEN.MAYOR KENNEY THERE EXPRESSINGHIS FRUSTRATION BECAUSE ACCORDTO GO HIM AND MANY CITYOFFICIALS PHILADELPHIA ISSIMPLY A DIFFERENT SITUATION.THEY ARE NOW WORKING WITHSTATE OFFICIAL TOSS SEE IFTHERE ARE WAYS TO REMEDY THISCHANGE AND HOW IT WILL IMPACTFAMILIES FOR THE WAY FOOD CANBE DELIVERED TO SOME STUDENTSAND THEIR FAMILIES DURING THISTWO WEEK PERIOD BUT THERE WILLBE A LOT OF DECISION TOSSCOME.SOME MAY TAKE PLACE OVER THEWEEKEND.WE WILL BE SURE TO KEEP YOUUPDATED.REPORTING LIVE, ALEXANDRIA