Florida public school campuses closed until April 15, state cancels all testing for K-12 schools.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida officials announced Tuesday they will eliminate testing requirements this spring for public-school students and extend the time in which kids will learn from home, as the state continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said testing requirements for school-readiness, voluntary pre-kindergarten and public-school programs will be canceled for the 2019-2020 school year.

“Requirements for graduation and promotion and final course grades will be evaluated as though those assessments did not exist,” the governor told reporters at a news conference.

Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran also said public schools will extend online learning until April 15. The state will re-evaluate after mid-April if kids should be allowed to go back to campuses, he added.

Most students are in extended spring breaks because of the coronavirus. Four school districts — Duval, Union, Collier and Sumter — have started to implement online learning as they wrap up extended spring breaks this week.

“It is essential that students do not fall behind and are still receiving instruction, even when they are not in the classroom,” Corcoran said in a statement after the news conference.

To ensure all students have access to online learning, DeSantis said school districts will be allowed to dip into “various” pots of unused state funds to help low-income students pay for computers and home-based internet services.

School districts will also be allowed to pay for “virtual” mental-health services for students impacted by the coronavirus, with the help of unspent funds lawmakers allocated for school safety and in-school mental health services, DeSantis said.

Florida Education Association President Fedrick Ingram told The News Service of Florida in a phone interview that he applauds the governor’s efforts to keep students from coming to school and to waive testing requirements.