Rockville Centre School District discusses possible reopening plans

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While the details of the 2020-21 school year are yet to be determined, the Rockville Centre School District is making plans to be prepared for a range of scenarios. The Board of Education has formed a Re-Entry Committee, and the district said it was aligning its plans with the recent guidance provided by the New York State Education Department.

“In our planning, the safety of our students and staff is the top priority,” the district’s new superintendent, June Chang, said. “We want to ensure that there are clear operational procedures of collecting information, gathering information and talking about specific areas to be able to focus on, and then bring those back to a smaller committee to start making logistical decisions as we move forward into planning for reopening.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said earlier this month that schools could reopen in September if the local infection level were 5 percent or lower as of Aug. 1, and remained low for the following two weeks. If schools do reopen, however, students’ return will be different, with several models being considered, and districts must submit their plans to the state by July 31.

The Re-Entry Committee has been divided into four subcommittees: Safety; Instruction; Social and Emotional Learning and Mental Health; and Co-Curricular and Activities. There are 20 to 30 volunteers on each subcommittee — board trustees, parents, staff and administrators. Chang said the state requires districts to examine different models, and provided interim guidance last week. Each committee is focusing on questions about various scenarios for the upcoming school year, which include a return to school in the fall; a closure in the middle of the school year; remote learning at the beginning of the year and a return to school later in the year; and remote learning for the entire year.

“We’ve been working extremely hard in a short amount of time,” Chang said, “and have already gone through a series of committee meetings.”

So far, he said, the Instruction subcommittee has discussed three potential plans: the return of all students, following health guidelines; a hybrid model, in which students attend school in cohorts, or smaller groups, every other day or two or three times a week; or a remote model that is more structured, with mandated classes and attendance.

The Safety subcommittee, Chang said, was considering classroom structure; implementing social distancing and restroom use guidelines; entrance and exit procedures; and exposure and quarantine protocols, in addition to cleaning and sanitizing measures. The subcommittee will also address the use of face coverings, which the state will require staff and students to wear when social distancing cannot be maintained.

The district is also prioritizing students’ mental health, and the Social and Emotional Learning and Mental Health subcommittee is discussing the needs of students with disabilities, identifying at-risk students and reviewing the social and emotional learning curriculum.

The fourth subcommittee is focusing on co-curricular events and activities, including athletic competition and schedules; large group and theatrical performances; and how to address spectators and audiences.

Reopening was discussed at the July 16 Board of Education meeting, held the same day Chang sent a letter to district parents informing them of the reopening process options. He noted that schools were still under an executive order from Cuomo to remain closed to students until further notice, and the district was following the guidelines of local and state health officials. Chang said he would be as transparent as possible during the reopening process, and would send a letter out every Thursday.

“As we get more details, I’ll be sharing as much as I can, to the extent that I can,” he said. “The purpose is to make everyone feel plugged into the information that we want to be able to provide.”

The subcommittees planned to meet weekly, and to report to the main committee every other week. The full committee met earlier on July 16, which Chang said was informative.

“The great thing about the structure is that we were able to get insights from each group and talk through our next steps,” he said. “That’s what I’m really proud of: We’re not just talking about things, but we’re looking at ways to put information into motion as well as into action, and that makes me feel good about our situation.”

On July 29, he said, the district will hold a forum, hosted by the PTA, so parents can provide input and have their questions answered.

Board President Tara Hackett clarified that the forum will be virtual, because gatherings of more than 50 people are not allowed. The forum begins at 7 p.m. and the link is posted on the district's website. Hackett said she appreciated the work the committee members had done so far. “We know it’s been a really big effort on the part of everybody,” she said, “so, thank you.”

The state Department of Health has created an extensive list of reopening guidelines for schools, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also created a readiness and planning tool for schools to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Links to these resources are provided on the district’s website, rvc.org.