In two simultaneous releases, one from the mayor’s office and one from the Board of Education, Hamden officials announced that as of Friday, they are closing schools and non-essential town buildings as a preventative measure against coronavirus.
At around 3 p.m. on Thursday, the Hamden School District sent an email to parents notifying them that Hamden schools will be closing indefinitely beginning on Friday. Before- and after-school programs are also canceled.
“Parents and caregivers should expect an extended closure,” the email said.
The email announced that it will continue to provide free meals to those students who rely on school lunches and breakfasts. Starting on Monday, students from ages 5 – 18 can pick up free meals from Hamden High School, Hamden Middle School, and the Church Street School from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday-Friday. No identification is required to receive the meals. The distribution will take place outside of the schools to limit the potential for spreading the virus.
“The 5500 kids that we serve in our schools aren’t going away. They’ll be in our community, so we need to be mindful of what their needs are and meet them,” said Superintendent Jody Goeler.
Though all school buildings are closed to the public starting on Friday, the school offices and the district’s central office will reopen on Tuesday to conduct business that can be done over the phone or electronically. Starting on Wednesday, the district will provide “packets of educational materials to help keep students’ minds and bodies engaged” during the closure. They will be available at the high school, middle school, and Church Street School.
Goeler said the packets are not mandatory and will not be graded. He said some teachers are making preparations to help their students continue to prepare for Advanced Placement exams.
Keep up with district announcements on the district’s website. Scroll down for information.
Town Buildings And Departments Closed
At 3:15, the town sent out a press release stating that the town had closed most “non-essential” buildings and departments at 2 p.m. on Thursday. They will remain closed until the town releases its plan for “reduced physical presence government operations.” Essential departments like Public Works, Police, and Fire will remain open, but most others are closed.
The Tax Office will remain open until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and will be open on Friday so residents can resolve any outstanding tax issues before the weekend.
The libraries and the Miller Senior Center will close, though elderly services operations will continue. Senior meals will be delivered to residents’ houses, and residents can call the office if they need anything.
All recreational activities are canceled. Parks remain open, but all playgrounds are closed. The Keefe Community Center will remain open until the end of the day on Thursday for the after-school program that takes place there. It will then close.
Deputy Chief of Staff Patrick Donnelly said the town is working out a way to continue the pantry that takes place at the Keefe center three days a week.
Donnelly said the town is working on a plan to continue operating the town that minimizes physical interaction. He said many town operations will move online.
Read the full release here. Keep up with Hamden’s coronavirus-related announcements and information here.
The City of New Haven should follow suit. There is no reason non-essential personnel should be risking their safety to come to work during this pandemic. To close the schools but make everyone else interact is not going to stop the spread of germs throughout city hall, the hall of records, & board of Ed.