This year's Scripps National Spelling Bee has been canceled after organizers concluded there was “no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020” because of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision means kids who are in eighth grade this year will miss their final opportunity to compete in the national finals. Scripps won't change eligibility requirements for next year’s bee, which is scheduled for June 1-3, 2021. The bee has always been open to kids through the eighth grade. The bee had only previously been canceled between 1943-45 because of World War II. The first Scripps bee was held in 1925.
Copyright 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Mark Bowen
Spellers on stage after arrival in Maryland for the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Posted
and last updated
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
