COVID CONFUSION
Capital Region school districts, react to lack of health guidance from state, DOH
CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. >> With less than a month to go until the start of school, the Executive Chamber and the New York State Department of Health (DOH) have seemingly thrown up their hands when it comes to setting parameters for COVID-19 health guidance.
DOH Commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker recently released the following statement, assigning responsibility to local school districts and health departments.
“With the end of the state disaster emergency on June 25, 2021, school districts are reestablished as the controlling entity for schools. Schools and school districts should develop plans to open in-person in the fall as safely as possible, and I recommend following guidance from the CDC and local health departments,” Zucker stated.
That statement did not sit well with New York
“Schools and school districts should develop plans to open in-person in the fall as safely as possible.” — DOH Commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker
State Department of Education (NYSED) Commissioner, Betty A. Rosa.
Rosa responded shortly after with the following statement of her own, critical of the Executive Chamber and DOH.
“The Public Health Law provides that the Department of Health is charged with exercising control over and supervising the abatement of nuisances affecting or likely to affect public health as well as supervising and advising any local unit of government and the public health officials thereof within the state in the performance of their official duties. Currently, there is no greater nuisance affecting public health and safety than COVID-19. There is an urgent need for timely advice and supervision flowing from the State Department of Health to local and school officials as they navigate these uncertain times,” Rosa’s statement read.
“The circumstances enveloping the Executive
Chamber this week should not prevent the Department of Health from the execution of its responsibilities to the public, as has been promised by the Governor’s office for months,” Rosa’s statement concluded.
County officials also reacted to the lack of health guidance from DOH.
Saratoga County Supervisor, Tara N. Gaston voiced her displeasure, noting how the stance from DOH is keeping schools and families in limbo, especially since children under 12 are still unable to become vaccinated.
“The Executive Chamber has chosen to abandon these districts — as COVID-19 rates rise around the state — putting students, teachers, and staff at increased risk. The failure also increases the burden on, and threat to, local health officials already under immense stress,” Gaston said.
“I stand with the New York State Commissioner of Education Betty A. Rosa in lamenting the Executive Chamber’s statement that there will be no COVID-19 public health guidance for the 2021-22 school year,” Gaston continued.
“Additionally, I call on the NYS Department of Health to immediately fulfill their mission to “protect, improve and promote the health, productivity and the well-being of all New Yorkers” by providing districts with the guidance and tools necessary to protect our schools and communities — a mission not served by a chaotic, piecemeal approach to health and safety,” Gaston added.
Echoing those sentiments on the chaos and dereliction of duty from the Executive Chamber and DOH was Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin and County Health Director Mary Fran Wachunas.
“The directive ignores the authority under state law and the responsibility for the state Education Department to set policy for school districts across the state. Cuomo and Zucker are instead essentially endorsing a patchwork policy of confusion and conflict from school district to school district and county to county,” McLaughlin said.
“The state’s inaction will create chaos within each county, within each region, and across the state. At a time when effective leadership is needed, the state refuses to act, which is shameful,” McLaughlin continued.
“The failure to act on this important issue is just further proof that state government is paralyzed by the Governor’s scandals and that he must resign without further delay. You have the unnecessary and sad spectacle of the Health Commissioner and the Education Commissioner arguing in public on this issue because there is no leadership coming from the Executive Chamber,” McLaughlin added.
Wachunas noted the legal and jurisdictional limits county Health Departments have regarding the issue.
“We do not have the ability to set health policy for school districts. County Health Departments only have the ability to act in very specific circumstances, and do not have the authority to direct or compel districts on this issue. The state’s issue is very disappointing and adds to the confusion and stress we are already dealing with,” Wachunas explained.
Additionally, school superintendents from around the Capital Region weighed in on the lack of guidance from the Executive Chamber and DOH.
Watervliet City School District Superintendent, Dr. Lori Caplan outlined how her school district plans to operate.
“The WCSD has/will continue to operate in a manner that aligns w/CDC guidelines to ensure that all students/staff remain as safe as possible. Children/staff have been in masks (while indoors) during summer school and will continue to do the same come September. Superintendents have been given guidance at the twelfth hour if/when we do get it, throughout the pandemic, so “building the plane as it’s in the air,” is not new to any of us,” Caplan explained.
“School will be open in September, students will be expected to be in-person and we will continue with our COVID safety protocols just like we did last year. We have two more vaccination clinics coming up (Aug. 17 and Aug. 24) to ensure students that are eligible and interested in being vaccinated, can do so,” Caplan continued.
“Most importantly we will do a “tiered mitigation approach” based on infection rate in Albany County,” Caplan added.
Ballston Spa Central School District Superintendent of Schools, Ken Slentz, also voiced his frustrations in light of the recent lack of guidance.
“The change in direction from what we had been told by the Governor and the NYS DOH is incredibly frustrating as we lost a good deal of time in planning with our teams, our parents, and our communities as we waited for the guidance that we were told was forthcoming. What is perhaps most troubling is that we are educators and do not have expertise in the health matters that we are planning to address in our reopening plans. The NYS DOH is the authority on such matters in NYS. That said, we are thankful that we have a very responsive local department of health who will assist us in our planning,” Slentz stated.
Mechanicville Central School District Superintendent of Schools, Bruce Potter, also outlined how his district intends to proceed.
“We are continuing our planning. The lack of guidance has provided some clarity though. As we are in control of the decision making there is no restriction that would prevent us from bringing all students back for in-person instruction everyday, all day,” Potter said.
“We will socially distance students to the greatest extent possible, but they will be on busses, in classrooms, and in the cafeteria,” Potter explained.
“We are participating in regional planning conversations with local departments of health as well as the BOCES. Our BOE will make final decisions regarding all COVID safety protocols and prevention strategies at a special meeting on August 25,” Potter added.
The Troy City School District put out the following statement to families:
“We understand that many of you are anxiously awaiting news on what the 2021-2022 school year will look like. While school districts were previously advised that COVID-19 guidance from the Governor’s Office and the New York State Department of Health was forthcoming, we have now been notified that no such guidance will be issued. The Troy City School District is working closely with the Rensselaer County Department of Health as well as the superintendents from throughout the Questar III BOCES region to discuss plans for the school year. As always, the health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority.
“We thank you for your support and your patience as we continue to work together during these unprecedented times. We hope to finalize a plan for our school district as soon as possible.”
Lansingburgh Central School District Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Antonio Abitabile, sent out a memo to families Thursday that outlined preliminary protocols, which are subject to change if NYSED decides to release any of its own 21-22 guidance for schools.
Per part of the memo, Lansingburgh is planning a 100% return to in-person learning with no option for remote learning. All Lansingburgh students and staff will be wearing appropriate face masks in school buildings for the 2021-2022 school year. If allowed, they plan to reduce the required amount of physical distance between students from 6 feet to 3 feet when in the classroom.
Additionally, in the Shenendehowa Central School District Public Relations Officer Lindsay Valenti released the following on how the district plans to proceed in the coming weeks.
“Shen will have finalized plans for parents the week of August 16. Dr. Robinson is working closely with other local Superintendent’s on best practices as we finalize our individual district plans,” Valenti stated.