Auburn School District Superintendent Alan Spicciati posted the following message on Monday after Gov. Jay Inslee extended the school closure across the state for the rest of the school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Today (Monday), Gov. Inslee announced school buildings will be closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. I can’t begin to describe my emotions and like many of you, I am saddened by this news. Auburn schools are special places. The relationships between and among students, staff, and families are the very heart of our community. I want you to know how many teachers and staff I have heard from who are heartbroken not to be able to be together with students.

My heart goes out to all of our students, particularly our seniors. We don’t know what culminating activities we might be able to hold at a later date, but it is clear seniors are uniquely impacted. Over time, I am confident our Class of 2020 will find ways to make this experience their own. But all of our students are impacted. Please know your school staff has tremendous empathy for the lost opportunities in this challenging time.

Being closed through the end of the year will require a new level of continuous learning. Over the past few weeks, our teachers have connected with the vast majority of our students, and our goal is to engage every student. In the coming days and weeks, staff will collaborate to cover the key standards of the remainder of the year. High school courses will allow students the opportunity to earn credits and progress toward graduation. Please give our instructional staff an opportunity to design quality remote learning experiences for the remainder of the year. This is new to them, too.

While I am disappointed school will not resume this year, what we are doing is making a difference. It is clear that early action in Washington has saved many lives and is keeping our doctors and nurses from facing the dire conditions we see in other parts of the country. This will only work if we continue to stay home and continue to practice social distancing.

The extended closure raises numerous questions for students and families. We are working to answer your questions as soon as possible. We will provide more detailed information about what this closure means in the near future.

This is a difficult time. I am confident we will emerge stronger. My best to you and your family. Stay safe.”