Frustrations Boil Over From City Officials As They Want To Keep Schools Open

Crystal Cranmore reports.

OF AREAS WHEN I COME BACKINSIDE.MATT WE WILL TAKE A LOOKTHAT THE IN JUST A FEWMINUTES, THANK YOU.GOVERNOR TOM WOLF HAS ORDEREDALL PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOLSCLOSED FOR TWO WEEKS STARTINGON MONDAY, TO FIGHT THE SPREADOF THE CORONAVIRUS.BUT THE NEWS AFTER SHUTDOWN INPHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOLSDID NOT GO OVER WELL WITH CITYLEADERS."EYEWITNESS NEWS" REPORTERCRYSTAL CRANMORE IS LIVE ATSCHOOL DISTRICT HEADQUARTERSIN SPRING GARDEN THIS MORNINGTO TAKE A LOOK AT THECONTROVERSY, CRYSTAL, GOODMORNING.Reporter: GOOD MORNING,JAN, WELL, MAYOR JIM KENNEYSAYS HE'S CONCERNED ABOUTTHESE CLOSURES, AND THEIMPACTS THEY MIGHT HAVE ONSTUDENTS, SPECIFICALLY, THOSESTUDENT WHO RELY ON AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND FREE ORREDUCED PRICED LUNCHES.THE MAYOR, OTHER CITY LEADERSAS WELL AS SCHOOL DISTRICTOFFICIALS EXPRESS SOME OF THECONCERNS AT PRESS CONFERENCEON FRIDAY.THE TWO WEEK CLOSURE WILL BEWILL BEGIN MONDAY FOR ALLPENNSYLVANIA SCHOOLS, STATEOFFICIALS SAYING THE DECISIONWAS NOT MADE LIGHTLY, ANDCOMES AFTER CONSULTING WITHOTHER STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS.SO FAR THERE ARE 35PRESUMPTIVE POSITIVE CASES ANDSIX CONFIRMED CASES OFCOVID-19 IN PENNSYLVANIA.MANY OF THOSE CASES ARE INMONTGOMERY COUNTY, WHERESEVERAL SCHOOLS CHOSE TO CLOSEEARLIER THIS WEEK.NOW, MAYOR JIM KENNEY WASFORCED TO DEFEND THE CHOICE TOKEEP PHILADELPHIA SCHOOLS OPENTHIS PAST WEEK AFTER HEATEDQUESTIONS WERE RAISED.OUR KIDS WERE SAFER BEINNING SCHOOL.THEY GET BREAKFAST, LET MEFINISH, THEY GET BREAKFAST,THEY GET LUNCH, THEY GET SAFEPLACE TO BE, THEY GETHOMEWORK, THEY GET KNOWLEDGE,THEY HAVE AFTER SCHOOLACTIVITIES AND SOMETIMES AFTERSCHOOL CARE.WE DIDN'T WANT TO CHANGE ALLOF THAT.NOW, SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTWILLIAM HITE SAYS THAT MANY OFTHE SCHOOLS TEACHERS LIVE INMONTGOMERY COUNTY, AND HAVEBEEN ASKED TO SELF-QUARANTINE.NOW, AS FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHORELY ON SCHOOL LUNCHES,GOVERNOR TOM WOLF SAYS THATELIGIBLE SCHOOLS WILL BE ABLETO PROVIDE LOW INCOME STUDENTSLUNCHES AND NONE CONGREGATESETTINGS AT DRIVE-THRU'S ANDGRAB AND GOES.