Hartford Public Schools will close indefinitely in an effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
Officials said SAND School dismissed early Thursday and will be closed on Friday, March 13 for cleaning. Betances STEM Magnet School and Kennelly School will be closed Friday.
The rest of the district will be closed effective Monday, March 16.
Officials said the district will send some materials home with students, and some will be made available online.
Mayor Luke Bronin said Thursday that they were trying to give families as much time as possible to prepare for the closure.
"We know that this will have a profoundly difficult impact for thousands of our families. For parents, for students, this will not be easy. And we are going to do everything we can to mitigate the impact of this closure on our families," Bronin said.
The district has been preparing to ensure students have access to meals during any closure. Grab-and-go meals, including a lunch and a breakfast for each following day, will be available at eight locations during the closure. Those meals will be available for Hartford Public School students and other students who live in the city.
Bronin said the city has also closed its senior centers and will have meals distributed to an estimated 200 seniors as well.
Five people in Connecticut have tested positive for the coronavirus.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
