CENTRAL SQUARE – Central Square Central School District sent out a letter to the district community yesterday detailing some new information – the district plans for elementary students to return to school in-person five days a week and middle school and high school students may return for four days a week beginning April 30.
However, this decision depends on if the New York State Department of Health adopts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised guidance issued on Friday, March 19, that brings the 6 feet social distance rule down to 3 feet.
Families who wish to continue remote learning are able to do so.
The full letter from Superintendent Thomas J. Colabufo can be found below with more information.
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Timeline regarding in-person learning:
- March 11, 2021: Letter sent to parents/guardians regarding the tentative date of April 30 to bring back all elementary students five days a week and PVM HS and CSMS students four days a week (that want in-person learning) by utilizing face shields with masks as a barrier.
- March 13 through March 18: After we were contacted several times by the local Health Department and NYS Health Department informing us that NYS is not recognizing face shields as an approved “barrier,” we researched approved barriers and were ready to purchase thousands of them until we heard that the CDC was about to release revised guidance.
- March 19: The CDC officially revises their guidance reducing the required distance between students in classrooms from six feet to three feet with no barriers required. (The NYS Health Department must adopt this guidance before NYS school districts can implement it, however, all reports indicate that will happen very soon.)
- April 5: CSMS and PVM HS students that chose the hybrid model will start receiving two days of in-person learning each week.
- April 30: All elementary students (that want in-person learning) will receive it five days per week and all CSMS and PVM HS students will have access to in-person learning four days per week as long as the NYSDOH adopts the CDC’s March 19 revised guidance, which we are hearing can happen very soon.
Bus restrictions remain an issue: It is anticipated that the NYS Health Department will adopt the CDC’s revised guidance (mentioned above) and when they do, that solves our capacity issue for classrooms, but we are still limited to no more than 22 students per bus for more than 15 minutes. The 15 minute clock begins after the 23rd student is picked up and continues until the remaining students are picked up and the bus arrives at school. The majority of our bus runs are spread out and would not comply with the 15-minute rule, so we cannot exceed 22 students on those bus runs. It will require us to either split PVM HS and CSMS bus runs or potentially require us to outsource additional bus runs to a private bus company if the number of students whose parents did not select two days of in-person learning for their children starting April 5 (because that was not an option at that time) now want four days of in-person learning, exceeds what we can manage internally due to the 22 student limit. Either way, we will find a solution to the busing restrictions; all students that want in-person learning will receive it by April 30.
If a CSMS or PVM HS parent/guardian would like to change from their original 100% remote decision to the 4 day in-person model, requests for change should occur before April 12th (so we can build those bus runs with the 22 student limit) and follow this process:
- Contact the school’s main office clerical:
- CSMS Tracy McCaffrey [email protected] 315-668-4218 x40162
- PVM Mary LaFlair [email protected] or 315-668-4231 x53011
- Provide the following information:
- Student name & grade
- If transportation is needed and the address (specifically will they need transportation to school, from school, or both)
- If student will want/need school provided breakfast/ lunch
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Colabufo
Superintendent
