COVID-19 required schools to make critical adjustments to their instructional model in March 2020 with little or no time to plan. As schools devise their re-opening plans for the 2020-21 school year, plans must address resuming in-person instruction. However, scheduling decisions must be informed by health and safety standards and the most up to date guidance from the New York State Department of Health.

Consideration must also be given to the needs of students, families, and staff as well as the realities of available space and student enrollment in each unique school and  district. Schools are given the ability to restructure their programs using flexible scheduling models— taking advantage of in-person, remote, or hybrid learning models—and to provide synchronous and/or asynchronous instruction.

Per the New York State Department of Health guidance, plans should address a combination of in-person instruction and remote learning to facilitate a phased-in approach or hybrid model, which may be necessary at various times throughout the 2020-2021 school year. In cases where in-person instruction is not feasible, phased-in and hybrid models of education will need to consider if certain students will be prioritized for in-person instruction first or more frequently based on educational or other needs (e.g., early grades, students with disabilities, English language learners), and must balance this with equity, capacity, social distancing, PPE, feasibility, and learning considerations. These priorities if applicable shall be determined at the individual school or district level based upon the needs of student populations within such schools or districts.

If COVID-19 cases develop, schools/districts may consider restricting access within school facilities and across school grounds, particularly in affected areas to avoid full school closures. In such instances, schools/districts may choose to temporarily move classes where an individual has tested positive for COVID-19 to remote/virtual format until all contacts can be identified, notified, tested, and cleared. To maximize in-person instruction, Schools/districts should consider measures that can be implemented to decrease density and congregation in school facilities and on school grounds, when possible, such as: finding alternative spaces in the community to allow for more in-person instruction; adjusting class or work hours, where appropriate and possible;  limiting in-person presence to only those staff who are necessary to be at the school during normal school hours; maintaining or increasing remote workforce (e.g., administrative staff) to accommodate social distancing guidelines; staggering schedules and allowing more time between classes to reduce congestion in hallways, walkways, and buildings; and/or shifting design of class schedules to accommodate social distancing guidelines, including cohorts (e.g., alternative classroom schedules, full-time in-person learning for younger students, and part-time distance learning for older students).

Schools/districts should collaborate with stakeholders including, but not limited to, teachers, staff members, parents, and community groups when considering alternate schedules. Plans must include how schedules will be shared and made available to the school community. Schools should share their scheduling plans with students, families, and staff as soon as possible before the start of the school year and anytime a change is required in order to allow families to plan childcare and work arrangements. If schools/districts begin to implement in-person and hybrid learning models, they must also be prepared to shift back to fully remote learning models should circumstances change and school buildings are required to close.

Regardless of the instructional model implemented, equity and access must be the priority for all students including, but not limited to, students with disabilities, English language learners, and students experiencing homelessness.

As of April 19, 2021 students in grades K-12 will be afforded the opportunity to be in attendance at school each day for in-person learning. However, the District will still offer the choice to families for remaining in a remote learning model. The District also acknowledges that if the 3 feet and/or 6 feet of spacing cannot be maintained for all circumstances, some students may have to remain in the remote learning model that they had requested for the remainder of the year. Students in our Pre-K program will attend on alternate days as has been the case since the start of school in September of 2020. The plan was reviewed in public session and approved by the Board of Education at their regularly scheduled Board meeting held on April 12, 2021.