Youngstown State University students will have a longer spring break as the university finalizes its response to COVID-19.

University President Jim Tressel announced late Tuesday that the break students are currently enjoying will be extended by an one week, through March 22. There will be no classes and students should not come to campus. All large, indoor campus events and gatherings are canceled through March 30. University-sponsored travel, domestic as well as international, also is suspended.

Employees — faculty, staff and administration — should report to work. During this additional break week, YSU officials said they will finalize plans to initiate “alternative instructional delivery methods” that will allow most students to continue their education without coming to campus during the novel coronavirus outbreak, in line with recommendations by Gov. Mike DeWine, Tressel said in a statement.

Kent State University’s campuses and the University of Akron joined The Ohio State University in stopping face-to-face classroom meetings over the next several weeks. John Carroll and Case Western Reserve, both located in the Cleveland area, also are temporarily switching to online classes.

Most area school districts are waiting for more information from local and the state health departments.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Public school superintendents in Mahoning County are meeting with members of the Mahoning County Educational Service Center and Mahoning County Health Department to hear the latest information about the virus, and to ask questions about how it is spread.

“They (health department officials) will tell they superintendents what to look for in students or staff members exhibiting symptoms,” said Traci Hostetler, superintendent of the Mahoning County ESC. “My organization has been working closely with the governor’s office, Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Education.”

As of late Tuesday, there were no known cases of the virus in Trumbull, Mahoning or Ashtabula counties.

DeWine, on Tuesday, called for drastic action to slow the spread of the coronavirus throughout Ohio after three residents tested positive for the disease this week. So far, the state does not recommend that school districts follow suit.

“With only three confirmed cases in Ohio, people might say: ‘Well Mike, why are you doing this?'” DeWine said. “The answer is we’ve learned from what has happened in other countries and we’ve seen how fast this moves.”

Hostetler said Ohio students are required to have between 910 hours (grades K-6) and 1,001 hours (grades 7-12) of education every year.

Not all of those hours must be in the classroom.

“Superintendents and local health departments have the authority to close schools in cases in which diseases are threatening health,” Hostetler said. “Superintendents have available what we call ‘blizzard bags,’ which are for days schools may be closed due to natural emergencies. Typically, these days have been used for snow or weather emergencies.”

The use of online education alternatives will be determined by individual school districts and in individual schools.

“There are students that may not have access to computers and internet in their homes,” Hostetler said. “Schools may send lesson plans to their homes.”

District superintendents have options to hold classes during traditional spring and summer breaks to make up hours missed, she said.

In Youngstown, city schools spokeswoman Denise Dick said the district continues to monitor the situation through advisories from local and state health departments. She said there has not been any discussion about closing the schools and providing increased online educational opportunities.

But Poland schools scheduled a waiver day for Friday. There will be no classes, but they will resume as scheduled Monday. Staff will report to work and “prepare for alternative instructional mediums should the need arise,” Superintendent David Janofa said on the district’s website.

WARREN

Warren schools Superintendent Steve Chiaro said the district has been encouraging students and their families, as well as district employees, to do basic handwashing procedures and be vigilant in hygiene, just as they would during the height of flu seasons.

The district is in a wait-and-see mode and is in constant contact with health departments.

“We are focusing our efforts on student common areas, including the cleaning of door knobs, table, counter tops, banisters etc.,” Chiaro said. ” We are monitoring the frequency of cleaning different areas of our buildings.”

Chiaro said the district is using its electrostatic sprayer system, which provides a hospital-grade cleaning. The system this week was used to clean and disinfect 24 school buses in 45 minutes.

“We do that in all of our classrooms at least once a week,” he said.

Chiaro said the district has received some calls from parents and community members asking about the virus.

“We’ve received calls from residents who volunteered to clean our classrooms,” Chiaro said. “We have enough cleaning materials for the rest of the school year.”

Each of Warren’s school buildings has two Akron Children’s Hospital nurses working in them.

“If parents have concerns, we encouraged them to call the schools and talk to one of our nurses,” he said.

OTHERS

Girard Superintendent Bryan O’Hara emphasized the district is treating this period as it would during the typical seasonal flu.

“There is more emphasis on disinfecting areas during the evenings and on weekends,” he said. “We provided more wipes for teachers and faculty members.”

The district is reminding parents to keep children at home if they are sick.

Trumbull County Educational Service Center assistant Superintendent Robert Marino said individual school districts and the ESC are working in close coordination with the Trumbull County Board of Health. “We are implementing plans and incorporating recommended steps that seek to address widespread flu and disease outbreaks,” Marino said.

TCESC has developed teams to help plan, educate and promote awareness of emergency procedures that are specific to a virus outbreak. It is reviewing and modifying emergency management plans as needed in light of any new information. It is asking families to update their emergency contact information at their child’s school.