Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced April 17 that all Illinois schools would remain closed for the remainder of the academic year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, causing students to react with disappointment but not surprise.

“I was annoyed because I want to see my friends and connect with people face-to-face,” ninth-grader Amy Ren said, “but at the same time, I knew that safety had to take precedence.”

For seniors, this closure means missing out on many opportunities they’ve been looking forward to for at least four years.

“I had really been enjoying senior year and felt like I hit on a lot of traditions,” senior Ben Cifu said. “Especially since late January I had spent a lot of time with friends and just been enjoying the end of high school, but I feel like the traditional bittersweet end, with senior letters, senior spirit week, and just all the ways you say goodbye to friends and things at Lab dropped off, and I feel both like I’m ready to leave but also that there is a lot left unfinished.”

The closure served as a disappointing reminder of the situation students have endured since March 13.

“I didn’t really have a reaction because I already thought school wasn’t going to continue for the rest of the year,” ninth-grader Liam de Jong said. “I am kinda sad because I still won’t have time to hang out with my friends as much as we used to.”

Some students, like junior Kendall Clark, consider the lack of regular school stress a blessing.

“Well, my mother told me and I acted a little sad for her and then I went into the bathroom and locked the door,” Kendall said. “I started playing my favorite Spotify playlist and had a dance party by myself for a bit. I laughed a whole lot when I was dancing. The stress of school felt like it was leaving me.”

Some students even believe that this round of closures is not the end, and it’s possible they extend through the summer into the fall.

“I assumed it was gonna happen,” sophomore Jack Hurst said. “I think it’s totally possible that we don’t start until January. I feel like it’s not smart to do school right now. It’s also not safe.”

Grace Holleb, Berk Oto and Téa Tamburo contributed additional reporting.