Hudson Valley schools race to figure out reopening plans as state offers no guidance

Hudson Valley schools race to figure out reopening plans as state offers no guidance.

News 12 Staff

Aug 6, 2021, 10:32 AM

Updated 1,163 days ago

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Hudson Valley schools race to figure out reopening plans as state offers no guidance.
School officials in the Hudson Valley are drawing up reopening plans after New York state announced they are not issuing coronavirus guidance for schools.
Local school administrators are now figuring out how they are going to handle safety protocols for the opening of school.
Originally, media outlets reported that New York’s health department officials said the state government would issue some form of universal coronavirus safety guidelines for the school year.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker then issued a statement, saying the decision was up to school districts since the pandemic state of emergency ended.
School officials in White Plains say they had already started drafting plans, anticipating that New York would follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidance, which calls for five days of in-person instruction and indoor mask-wearing.
Robert Lowry, of the New York State Council for School Superintendents, tells News 12, "There were repeated statements from state officials that there would be statewide guidance…Local school and county health officials were put on hold in their own decision making."
White Plains Schools Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca says his district is aiming for a five-day school week and has a plan in place.
“All of the members of our school community will be wearing masks or facial coverings while indoors, we'll have physical distancing in place where possible," says Dr. Ricca.
Educators we've spoken with say they feel they're in a better position going into this school year because they now have experience in dealing with Covid and last-minute changes.