As school approaches, districts seek guidance

SCHUYLER COUNTY--With the upcoming school year rapidly approaching, the incoming superintendent of Watkins Glen Central School District released a letter to parents Aug. 10 detailing the information that is currently available to educators. Kai D'Alleva, who will be assuming the duties of superintendent on Sept. 1, said that the district is currently working with public health and local partners to develop the best course of action as directives are developed from the state.
"Currently, we are working with our local county health department, as well as consulting with neighboring districts, to determine the best course of action for the new school year in the Southern Tier and more specifically, in Schuyler County," D'Alleva said.
The letter states Watkins Glen is planning for a typical opening for both buildings with students attending five days a week. Virtual learning will not be made available unless a student provides medical documentation. All medical documentation must also be reviewed and approved by the school physician.
The district is still determining when and where masking will be required, the use of daily screening protocols and the implementation of testing protocols.
"We anticipate having more details to share by August 24, 2021," D'Alleva said.
Odessa-Montour Central School District has not distributed information about the upcoming year yet but a district official said work on the guidelines is ongoing.
To help districts, the state Education Department on Thursday, Aug. 12 released a health and safety guide for the upcoming school year.
"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," said Chancellor Lester W. Young, adding, "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."
The guide is designed to provide strategies for districts based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, the 21-page guidance leaves statements up to interpretation. For example, in the sports section, it says "High-risk sports and extracurricular activities should be virtual or canceled in areas of high community transmission unless all participants are fully vaccinated." Of the four levels of transmission, "low, moderate, substantial and high," most of the state is at the top end of that scale. Schuyler is currently at a "substantial" level.
Does that mean sports like football will be postponed again as inter-county play is typical? That is currently unknown. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association, which oversees all sports in New York school said, "We encourage our member schools to utilize this document and consult with local health departments as they plan for the 2021-22 fall interscholastic athletic season."
The full reopening document can be seen at: www.tinyurl.com/yd76avhm