Schools given reopening guidance

Education Department lists precautions; districts must send plans to state by July 31

From opening windows to limiting visitors to turning all desks in the same direction, the state Education Department released guidance Thursday on precautions schools should take when planning how to reopen this fall.

Schools still don’t know whether they

will be able to open for in-person instruction in September, as cases of coronavirus are still present in communities across New York. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Monday that his administration will announce its decision the first week of August, and that it will depend on whether a district is located in a region with a daily infection rate of 5 percent or lower over a 14-day average.

All schools and school districts will be required to create comprehensive reopening plans that they must submit to the state by July 31. Many were waiting for the release of formal guidance from the state before doing so.

“The guidance disseminated to schools today accounts for the health and safety of our children, teachers and school personnel while encouraging equitable access to the services and resources necessary for a high-quality

education,” said Betty Rosa, chancellor of New York’s Board of Regents, which sets education policy for the state.

The reopening plans must include a schedule that includes in-person instruction, remote instruction or a hybrid of both, the department said. The plans should be clearly communicated, it said, with as much advance notice provided to students, families and staff as possible.

“The guidance encourages community involvement and allows for flexibility so that districts and schools in every corner of the state can assess their unique situation and develop a plan that best meets the needs of their students,” said interim state Education Commissioner Shannon Tahoe.

School will look a lot different this fall: Students and staff will be required to wear face coverings, including on the bus, with some exceptions for very young children and special education teachers. They can bring their own, but schools must have adequate supplies on hand in the event they forget to bring it or don’t have one, the guidance says.

Schools will also be required to perform daily temperature screenings of students and staff, and administer daily screening questionnaires to faculty and staff. Students can be administered the questionnaire periodically, according to the state’s guidance.

Staff will also be trained to identify signs and symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. And districts must develop plans for isolating students who fall ill until they can go home.

Reducing in-school density and ensuring students maintain six feet of distance between each other will be a more difficult challenge. The guidance contains a number of suggestions, including:

■ Staggered arrival and dismissal times

■ Increased student entry points

■ Use of visual aids to indicate traffic flow

■ Assign the same cohort of students to the same teacher every day

■ Have music and art teachers go to individual classrooms rather than rotating students through a shared space

■ Turn desks to face in the same direction

■ Open windows to improve ventilation

■ Keep student belongings separated

■ Limit use of shared supplies

■ Use alternate spaces for meal times

■ Cancel or limit student assemblies, athletic events, practices and performances

■ Limit visitors to school buildings

The distance must be 12 feet for any activity that involves projecting the voice, such as singing, playing a wind instrument, or aerobic activity.

Schools have also been advised to make accommodations for remote instruction for students who are in a medically vulnerable or high-risk group, or for students whose family falls into these groups. Students whose parents choose not to send them back to school must be accommodated, as well, with remote instruction.

The guidance also recommends quantities of personal protective equipment that schools should have on hand, if needed, including masks, disposable nitrile gloves, gowns, eye protection, face shields, and N95 masks. The guidance warns that obtaining PPE may be difficult due to high demand, and encourages schools to consult with their BOCES or county or city emergency manager.

In addition to submitting the reopening plans to the state, schools must post them on their websites once completed, the guidance states.