Cuomo Sounds off as Schools Submit Opening Plans

Cuomo Sounds off as Schools Submit Opening Plans: Governor Andrew Cuomo announced this weekend that if COVID infection rates remain as they are now that “we’re going to reopen schools” in the fall. This, as New York state infection rates remained at the 1% levels last week – well below the 5% threshold the Governor set to trigger school reopening in his guidance several weeks ago.

New York State infection rates have remained around 1%, despite some daily spikes, since June 16 after peaking at just under 50% on March 30. Steady declines post-peak reduced infection rates to 14.7% on April 30 and 1.9% by May 31. Current New York State COVID hospitalizations hit a pandemic low of 556 on Saturday as the three-day average of COVID deaths dropped to 4- the lowest since mid-March.

Cuomo expects to make a “preliminary” decision about school openings on August 7, pushing back his original trigger date from August 1. Should any New Y0rk region maintain its infection rates below the 5% bar through August 7, as they all are expected to, Cuomo could still reverse his decision if infection rates spiked to 9% before opening day.

Cuomo’s latest announcement was his most bullish on school reopening after setting cautious notes last week when he said in a press call “It’s about the parents being comfortable. Just because a school district says ‘we’re open’ does not mean students are going to go.” He stressed in his Monday press conference today that parents he has spoken with are most concerned about how schools are going to administer tests. All New York schools were required to submit three opening plans to the state by Friday, July 31. Including plans for full-time in-school classes, an exclusively remote learning plan, and a hybrid plan.

Below are snapshots of scheduling plans submitted by Westchester County schools on Friday. They illustrate many different approaches conceived by individual school districts. You can click on the link for your school district for more details on their mask, social distancing, health check, contact tracing, cleaning and hygiene protocols.

• Byram Hills: Grades K-5 would have four full-days in school with a half-day on Wednesday. Sixth grade students would be in-school for five full days. Grades 7-12 would be split into two groups, one group would be in-school on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the other would be in-school on Thursdays and Fridays. The two groups would alternate in-school attendance on Wednesdays.
• Bedford School District will post their full plans online this week. In a letter to parents on July 28, Interim School Superintendent Dr. Joel Adelberg provided a sneak preview of the district’s plans opening in September. They include the possibility of full-time on-premise classes for students K-2. And a hybrid model for grades 3-12 with on-premise classes operating at 50% capacity five days a week. Students would be divided into two groups by alphabet with each group alternating with two days in-class one week and three days the next.
• Chappaqua: The district plan will be submitted by Aug. 7.
• Katonah-Lewisboro: The Katonah-Lewisboro school district reported on Friday that they cannot support a full in-school model under current social districting guidelines. Their hybrid plan splits all students from K-12 into two-groups that would alternate on successive days between in-school and remote classes. Under this plan all students would be have a device to enable remote learning.
• North Salem: North Salem would also split students at all level into two groups with on group attending live classes on Mondays and Tuesdays, the second group would be in-school on Thursdays and Fridays and the two groups would alternate Wednesdays for on-premise classes. Student schedules would remain the same whether students are attending classes on-site or virtual, and all students would be issued a device to enable remote learning.
• Pleasantville: All students would have remote instruction on Mondays, followed by every other day in school attendance for grades 1-12. . When students are not in school, they would participate in self-guided work rather than live instruction. Kindergarten students would spend half the day in school.
• Somers: All K-6 students would attend school five days a week. Students in grades 7-12 would attend every other day, with classes streamed live when students are at home. All students would be provided a device to enable remote learning.