Gov. Tom Wolf ordered Pa. schools to close. Why can’t he order them to reopen? Updated Mar 06, 2021; Posted Mar 06, 2021 Gov. Tom Wolf had the authority to order schools to close but reopening them is a local decision, according to the Wolf Administration.(File/AP Photo, Tony Dejak)AP Facebook Share Pennsylvania is now just one week away from the anniversary of Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement ordering public and private schools to close as the COVID-19 pandemic began to get a foothold in the state. It was remarkable, almost unthinkable, that the governor would take such a sweeping step. But it now has some thinking. If Wolf had the authority to order schools to close, can he order them to reopen?