The Bainbridge Island School District has announced that all schools will be closed Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13.

Officials said the move was made in order for the school district to prepare for the possible long-term closure of facilities due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Our district is experiencing an increase in staff absences, and we are at the cusp of not having enough staff to safely operate our schools,” District Superintendent Peter Bang-Knudsen said in an announcement of the closure late Wednesday.

“In addition, today we also heard from Governor Inslee that districts should prepare now for the possible long-term closure of schools,” he added. “As you know, this is a very fluid situation and a lot can change. The governor is expected to make an additional announcement regarding schools in the coming days. Once we learn how the announcement impacts BISD, we will share it with our school community.”