State’s forms trip up schools
Some area districts are on N.Y.’S noncompliance list after mix-ups in submitting reopening plans
Online portals for school reopening plans tripped up East Greenbush, Brunswick, Troy and Shenendehowa schools, landing them on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s list of 107 districts in New York that failed to submit proposals by July 31.
Any district that has not submitted a plan by the end of the week will not be allowed to reopen its buildings in the fall, Cuomo said in a call with reporters Monday afternoon.
“How they didn’t even submit a plan is beyond me,” Cuomo said.
Spokespersons for the school districts said that they received confirmation emails after submitting reopening plans to the state last month and that they’ve reached out for clarity about why they were never received by the Department of Health.
In the case of East Greenbush and Shenendehowa schools, two of the largest suburban districts in the region, the mix-up stems from duplicate submission forms for the state Department of Health and the state Education Department, which have each put out their own recommendations.
The state Education Department guidance largely focuses on educational continuity and standards, while the DOH document creates a baseline for health and safety in schools. But at times the directives overlap or contradict each other.
The East Greenbush Central School District submitted its plan through the
state Education Department but apparently did not complete a second form with the Department of Health.
“We were notified earlier today that our district, among others in the Capital Region, (was) included on a list that had not submitted a reopening plan,” East Greenbush spokesman Mark Adam said in a statement. “After seeking clarification from the state as to why we were included on this list, we completed a required companion survey and submitted it to the NYS Department of Health. We anticipate being removed from the list of noncompliance.”
The DOH guidance includes specific links for the public, private and charter schools to submit their reopening plans. At the bottom of the document, there is also a link for districts to affirm their receipt of the guidance.
Shenendehowa officials shared a screenshot showing that they had submitted their reopening protocols to SED and that they had filled out the affirmation linked at the bottom of the DOH form.
Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi maintained that the list of districts out of compliance was accurate because they had failed to submit their plans with the Department of Health.
“Despite clear guidance provided to these schools, which included a link to the DOH portal, some districts in follow-up calls said they filed with the State Education Department — which is not an executive agency — but didn’t file with DOH,” he said in an emailed statement. “Others filled out an affirmation certifying that they would be abiding by the state’s reopening guidance, but didn’t actually submit their plan, something many of these districts are now rectifying.”
The state continues to review plans. Districts that are found to be out of compliance will get a letter from the Department of Health and a follow-up call naming the sections of their plans that are deficient, in which case they will have until Friday to amend their plan, Cuomo said.
The governor also reminded districts they must complete the three to five public sessions with parents and teachers and post their plans for remote learning, testing and contact tracing on their website by Aug. 21 to be in compliance with standards established by the State.
Cuomo first announced
Shenendehowa officials shared a screenshot showing that they had submitted their reopening protocols to SED and that they had filled out the affirmation linked at the bottom of the DOH form.
the requirements on Friday when he cleared schools to reopen in the fall.
Most school districts are doing temperature screenings at the door, but say they will rely on local departments of health to make decisions about contact tracing and testing.
Cuomo on Friday said the screenings could not detect the asymptomatic spread of the virus, so school districts should clearly outline a mechanism for COVID-19 testing, including whether it is done at school or by local agencies.
Local school leaders said the idea that schools would administer COVID-19 tests — or even require them
— is counter to guidance from the state Education Department, which states that it is “strongly recommended that schools comply with CDC guidance and not conduct COVID-19 testing or require testing or antibody testing of students or staff members.”
Ballston Spa Central Schools Superintendent Ken Slentz said the governor’s remarks on Friday were “a bit of a turn” from what districts had previously been advised.
“This is not our area of expertise, so we want to be very careful how we manage this,” he said. “The Department of Health, I think they are going to be a little overwhelmed with this, but they have a critical role in this so we will be deferential but collaborative with them.”
Cuomo’s office notes that the state Health Department guidance, which does not specify how testing should be conducted, supersedes the document from the Education Department and was intended as a “mandatory baseline of health and safety protocols for school districts to follow.”
“Districts must have a plan in place for testing related to symptomatic or exposed individuals, whether in school or through the local health department, that includes timely delivery of results and any ensuing testing of additional individuals,” spokesman Jason Conwall said. “Additionally, any positive cases must be tracked through established contact tracing protocols and in coordination with the local health department. DOH guidance allows districts to implement additional testing protocols.”