Yonker‘ Free Pre‘‘ FRIDAY MARCH 13, 2020 - BRIAN HARROD PUBLISHER Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Quezada announced all Yonkers Public Schools will be closed for a Superintendent ’ s Conference day for teachers Yonkers Schools Closed Today And Will Open On Monday By BRIAN HARROD Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano an- nounced that several city programs will be closed till march 27th in an efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. City Council President Mike Khader also said the City Council will continue to meet, but all com- mittee meetings will be canceled. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Quezada and Board of Edu- cation president Rev. Stephen Lopez announced an unscheduled Superin- tendent ’ s Conference day today that will leave students at home. Public school teachers and admin- istrators are coming to school develop school-based instructional continuity plans. School is expected to be re-opened for students on Monday Superintendent Quezada also said that a prolonged closing of Yonkers Public Schools would disrupt the en- tire city, Quezada added that on Thursday, the district ’ s attendance rate dropped from 93% to 83% as some parents re- fused to send their childen to schools. The Mayor ’ s Health Advi- sory Board chairman Dr. Ammir Rabaddi, who is also a school board member, said six of the 128 Westch- ester County positive coronavirus cases are Yonkers residents. Dr. Rabaddi also said none of the cases are linked to city schools, but more Yonkers cases are expected to surface in the coming days. Mayor Mike Spano said Yonkers was not told what part of town those suffering from the virus were in. With more than 70% of chil- dren in Yonkers being food insecure, the city ’ s prolonged school closure plans will also include sites to provide meals. But, the mayor said that all Office for the Aging nutritional programs for seniors will remain operational.