ALBANY — The state Education Department issued Thursday night a guide to aid schools in reopening to in-person instruction in a safe manner.
Most schools last year offered a hybrid model of remote and in-person instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rotating students throughout the week.
This year, most school districts are looking to reopen with all students on campus five days a week.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Health Department declined to issue reopening guidelines and directed schools to come up with their own plans, recommending they follow guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In response, the state Education Department on Thursday released a health and safety guide with recommended protocols aimed at reopening in the fall.
“As we prepare for schools to reopen in September, our priority must be to provide leaders with access to information about practices that have proven effective throughout the pandemic,” state Education Department Chancellor Lester Young said in a statement Thursday. “The department’s health and safety guide is a concise resource that will assist districts as they mitigate risks to the health and safety of students, teachers and school staff while providing flexibility for schools to address their own unique circumstances in a manner that best meets the needs of all students.”
Under the department’s guidelines, the state recommends universal indoor masking regardless of vaccination status, social distancing of at least three feet and offering a remote option. The guide also urges school districts to promote vaccination against COVID-19 for eligible students.
“At a time when schools are preparing to reopen and the COVID positivity rate is increasing, we must ensure our schools and districts have the most up-to-date resources and mitigation strategies available to keep our children and school staff safe,” Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said in a statement.
The recommended guidelines are based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“Reopening amidst a pandemic for the second consecutive year is truly a daunting task,” Rosa said. “Our hope is that this guide, coupled with the input of local health officials, will help the state’s education community as they prepare for September.”
Catskill District Superintendent Ronel Cook said Friday the district will follow state and federal guidance.
“Catskill Central School District’s plan will be aligned with the CDC and state Education Department’s reopening guidance,” Cook said. “Our next Reopening of Schools Committee meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday. The committee will meet, thoroughly review the document and cross reference it with the draft plan that was already created.”
The district plans to offer a remote learning option for students with immunocompromised conditions, he added.
The first day of school in the Catskill district will be Sept. 13.
The Catskill district will hold a public hearing Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Catskill High School library, 341 West Main St., where the plan will be reviewed with the board of education and the community, Cook said. Another meeting will be held at a later date to approve the reopening plan. Information will be provided on the district’s website, Cook said.
“Our goal is to safely and responsibly return all students back to in-person instruction five days a week,” Cook said. “We will not deter or alter the recommended guidance. Doing so could potentially expose the district to liability and/or being shut down by the Department of Health.”
The Coxsackie-Athens Central School District will meet next week to discuss the reopening of the schools, Assistant Superintendent of School Services Leslie Copleston said Friday.
“We are meeting on Monday to compile our reopening plan and follow up with a discussion at the Thursday night board of education meeting,” Copleston said.
The first day of school in the Coxsackie-Athens district will be Sept. 7.
The Greenville Central School District plan was already aligned with the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, which mirror the state Education Department guide released Thursday, District Superintendent Tammy Sutherland said Friday.
The guidelines followed by the district are the highest standard of care available at this time, Sutherland said.
The district will adhere to the recommended protocols, including mask wearing, social distancing of at least three feet, surveillance testing, increased ventilation, hand hygiene, staying home when sick and regular cleaning and disinfecting to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, Sutherland said.
The practices followed by the district last school year will resume in September, she said.
“The layered mitigation strategies that we and other school districts implemented during the 2020-21 school year helped us to successfully keep our schools open,” Sutherland said. “These are strategies that will continue into the 2021-22 school year.”
The district will provide families with a written plan as soon as it is completed, she added.
The first day of school in the Greenville Central School District will be Sept. 8.
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