CNA Staff, Aug 24, 2020 / 09:15 am
The Bishop of Madison expressed his frustration this weekend after Dane County, Wisconsin, ordered all schools in the county to start the academic year online. The county issued the order Friday, giving local Catholic schools less than three day's notice before the beginning of the academic year.
"Last night, Dane County ordered the closure of all schools, giving us 60 hours notice. Our schools were poised to open safely and responsibly. COVID data does not support this decision," tweeted Bishop Donald Hying on August 22.
In a subsequent letter, mailed to families at affected schools and published on the diocesan Facebook page, Hying explained that on the evening of Friday, August 21, Public Health Madison-Dane County released Emergency Order #9, mandating that grades 3-12 begin the year online. Only grades kindergarten through second are permitted to meet in person.
Hying said he was "extraordinarily disappointed at this order and its timing," and that he was permitting schools in Dane County to delay their first day of school until after Labor Day if they wish to do so.