Dundee, Penn Yan detail school policies

YATES COUNTY--As the 2021-22 school year approaches, both Dundee and Penn Yan school districts released the first guidance Monday, Aug. 9 relating to COVID-19 precautions, particularly indoors. Both schools said in separate letters to district families that the plans will allow for a "normal" and "traditional" school environment. However, face coverings will be required following the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"All school districts were required to work with their local health departments to create a reopening plan that allowed for the safest return to school for all students in all grade levels regardless of need," Dundee's letter said. "We are beyond excited to share with you that this plan allows us to truly go back to a "normal" school year, meaning; students will be able to participate in all classes, move from classroom to classroom and even use the cafeteria again for meals and the gymnasiums for physical education class."
As the Delta variant of COVID-19 has caused cases to again increase throughout the country, public health officials have recommended vaccinations for those who are eligible and face mask use in many public places.
"Our goal with this reopening is to safely have all students back at school in the most traditional setting possible," said Penn Yan Superintendent Howard Dennis. "In order to do this work we were able to allow many traditional aspects of our school environment with one exception. We will begin the year by requiring masking. This is consistent with the CDC guidance and the concern about the transmission of the Delta variant among younger children. We will watch the status of our county closely and if it is possible we will reduce this mandate when it is safe to do so. This concession will allow us to do almost everything else in a traditional fashion."
Dennis explained this will mean students will change classes as they traditionally have at the secondary levels; buses will be able to have more students on them so the school will be able to have before and after school activities; lunch will go back to normal; families will no longer be required to fill out a morning survey; and students will not need to have a morning temperature check upon entering the buildings.
Dundee detailed the mask guidelines as follows, "the one requirement in order for us to fully open as a normal school year is that all faculty, staff and students will need to wear a face covering/mask (regardless of vaccination status) while indoors and on buses whenever three feet of distance (all the way around) cannot be maintained. Obviously masks can be taken off for routine breaks throughout the day as well as during meal times...Masks and face coverings do not need to be worn when outdoors."
To see Dundee's letter visit https://tinyurl.com/y8xbzv5p and for Penn Yan's see https://tinyurl.com/zsut5vvf. These policies could change depending on county, state or federal rules and regulations in response to the pandemic.