Clarkstown Central School District
July 14, 2020 - The Road to Reopening
Dear Clarkstown School Community:
I hope this communication finds you and your family well.
As part of a recommendation from members of the Reopening Schools Communications Subcommittee, the District has created a hub for school community members to visit and review multiple forms of communication about our process.
Look for the Road to Reopening Icon on our homepages to view notes from the 11 subcommittee teams as well as multiple forms and resources which provides insight and transparency to our work. This location will also provide updated information as we receive it from the State Education Department, the Board of Regents, and Governor Cuomo’s Office. This page is also available through the easy to remember link - www.ccsd.edu/reopening.
Thank you.
Stay Strong! Stay Healthy!
Sincerely,
Martin D. Cox, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Governor Cuomo Provides School Reopening Criteria
Governor Cuomo shared information at a press conference yesterday regarding criteria for schools to reopen in the fall.
“Schools will reopen if that region is in Phase 4, and the daily infection rate remains five percent or lower over a 14-day average,” said the Governor.
Governor Cuomo stated that masks will be required whenever students and teachers cannot maintain social distancing, and that it will be up to individual districts to follow state guidelines and develop specific plans to safely reopen. Schools will need to submit their plans to the State Education Department by July 31, and the Governor will give us more insight about the reopening of schools from August 1 - 7.
The Governor also released guidance from the New York State Department of Health with health and safety guidelines for all schools Interim Guidance for In-Person Instruction at Pre-K to Grade 12 Schools During the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency. This provides direction to schools on protocols to maintain the health and safety of students and staff upon reopening.
News From The Board of Regents
Yesterday, the Board of Regents met and presented a 28-page slide deck available via this link on the topic of Recovering, Rebuilding, and Renewing the Spirit of New York’s Schools: Reopening Guidance. The slides provide insight and guidance on multiple topics, all of them that match the ongoing work of our 11 subcommittees. The presentation also indicated that the Board of Regents will engage in Dissemination on these matters noted within the slides at a meeting on Wednesday, July 15.
Our Timeline is Now Modified
Due to the information received yesterday about a Dissemination for the Board of Regents on Wednesday, our Reopening Schools Task Force meeting has been rescheduled from Tuesday to Thursday, July 16. In summary, our next events are as follows:
- Wednesday, July 15, 4:30 p.m. - Reopening Schools Board of Education Workshop Livestream at 4:30pm at https://www. ccsd.edu/boestream
Thursday, July 15, 2:30 p.m. - Reopening Schools Task Force Meeting
During the workshop on Wednesday, I will purposefully not be making recommendations to the Board of Education, but instead using the element of time to further engage in dialogue with community stakeholders via our process. Every idea comes with obstacles, and requires further dialogue. I will be seeking a second Board of Education Workshop where we intend to provide a set of focused alternatives that best align to the stakeholder input and the regulatory requirements.
The Clarkstown Central School District
Website: www.ccsd.edu
Location: 62 Old Middletown Rd, New City
Phone: 845-639-6300
Facebook: facebook.com/ccsdschools
Twitter: @ccsdschools