State Decision on School Reopening to Come First Week in August
New York state will make a decision during the first week of August on how the schools will reopen this fall, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday.
Cuomo said a state committee has been convening in recent weeks to discuss the issues but will wait until the latest date possible to make a decision. School officials from around New York have told the state that they need about a month to be ready for the new school year.
Districts closed schools in mid-March with an explosion of COVID-19 cases and remained shut for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year with classes held remotely.
“We will open the schools if it is safe to open the schools,” Cuomo said. “Everybody wants the schools open. Everybody. Nobody wants the schools open more than I do. School reopening also ties to the economic reopening because you really can’t reopen an economy fully if you have the schools closed.”
He was unable to answer his own question on whether there will be a statewide determination or if there will be different standards used for reopening for different regions that have different infection rates and population densities.
The state Board of Regents is expected to issue guidance to New York’s roughly 700 public school districts along with charter, religious and private schools this Monday, July 13. School officials will then have until July 31 to submit a reopening plan for their district, which will have to be approved by the state.
Last month, the Board of Regents and the state Education Department hosted four virtual Regional School Reopening Task Force meetings.
Cuomo’s announcement comes a day after President Donald Trump threatened to cut off federal funding to states unless they authorize a full reopening of schools in the fall.
During a Wednesday briefing, the governor scoffed at the president’s threat saying “the federal government has no legal authority when it comes to school openings.” He said New Yorkers will not be bullied.
“The test I bring to all of these things – day camps, overnight camps – is my child test,” Cuomo said. “I’m not going to ask anyone to put their child in a situation that I would not put my child in, and that’s how I make these decisions. If it’s not safe for my child, it’s not safe for your child.”
Although local property taxes pay for most expenses in most districts, New York State receives about $3.5 billion of the $70 billion it spends on education from the federal government, said Dr. James Malatras, president of SUNY Empire State College and an adviser to the governor.
Cuomo did not offer an opinion regarding a Wednesday announcement by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio who said that the city school system will be open for in-person classes one to three days a week.
A joint statement from the Board of Regents, state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa and Interim reacted strongly to the President’s threat.
“The rhetoric from Washington D.C. calling on schools to be fully open with in-person classes this fall regardless of the status of the COVID-19 pandemic is a callous disregard for human health and safety, and puts the lives of those we have worked tirelessly to protect in jeopardy,” the statement read.
“Any decision on the reopening of school buildings should be made based on the best science, data and guidance available from state and federal health professionals. To completely disregard what we have learned so far about this virus and require schools to open under the threat of losing funding during a time when state, local and school budgets are already facing extreme shortfalls is reckless and plays politics with our children’s futures.”
New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta said while plans may differ from district to district, there are several issues that must be addressed. Issues include districts must have personal protective equipment available for every student and staff member to use as appropriate; cleaning and disinfecting protocols must be in place; six feet of social distancing must be required inside school buildings; accommodations must be available for students and staff who are at higher risk for contracting t illness to ensure they can limit their exposure; districts must ensure they have adequate mental health services to address the psychological impacts of this pandemic on students; and there must be equitable access to a well-rounded education for every student, regardless of what reopening looks like.
“We need two things to make all of this a reality,” Pallotta said. “First, parents and school staff must have a seat at the table locally to work out the details that are best for their communities. Second, we need the federal and state funding that absolutely will be necessary to do this safely and equitably. This isn’t a matter of whether we can do this right. We must.”
Malls Can Reopen Friday
Cuomo also announced Wednesday that indoor shopping malls may reopen this Friday as long as the facility has an air filtration system that can take COVID-19 out of the air.
He encouraged mall operators to have a MERV-13 system installed but that a rating of no less than MERV-11 must be used in order to open.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/