The Marin County Department of Health and Office of Education extended school closures through the end of the academic year on April 7 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 

“This is obviously not a decision that is made lightly, and we recognize the stress and challenge it places on families,” Dr. Lisa Santora Marin County’s Deputy Public Health Officer said in a press release to the county. “It is, however, a decision that puts the priority on the health and safety of families and the community in Marin and the Bay Area.”

According to the press release, the decision follows Governor Gavin Newson’s announcement that students would likely not be able to return to school for the remainder of the academic year. In response, Marin County health and education officials collaborated with those in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Francisco and decided to close school across all six counties. 

The Tamalpais Union High School District will provide more information on how grades, graduation, transcripts, scholarships, and distance learning will be handled in the near future.

“I know this is not the end of the school year we had hoped for, especially for our 12th-grade students who will be beginning new chapters in their lives in the fall,” superintendent Tara Taupier said in an email to the district. “In the coming weeks, we hope to know more about options for graduation ceremonies. We will find a way to celebrate our graduates in June.”