Cheney School District begins closure March 16

CHENEY -- Cheney School District officials have announced they are proceeding with a state-ordered shutdown of all K-12 schools one day earlier than scheduled.

In a post on its website, the district said all its schools will be closed beginning March 16, rather than the March 17 date ordered by Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday, March 13, in the state's effort to quell the spread of the novel coronavirus and the disease it carries, COVID-19. Inslee's order will keep schools closed, and all athletic, extracurricular and afterschool events shut down as well at least until April 24.

Cheney officials were meeting Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. to discuss further details of the district's response to the outbreak, which has reached 769 cases as of March 14 with three reported cases in Spokane County, one of which is in Medical Lake. To date, 42 people have died of the disease, according to the state Department of Health.

West Valley School District have also announced plans to begin their shut down on March 16.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.