NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The City School District of New Rochelle is expected to soon announce that all schools will be closed and classes will be held via remote learning due to the spread of the COVID-19 Omnicron varient, sources say.
New Rochelle Schools were the first in New York State to close during the first wave of COVID-19 on March 10, 2020 when Governor Andrew Cuomo created the country’s first (and last) quarantine zone. Cuomo opened the site of New York’s first drive-thru test center at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle.
The news comes just two days after New Rochelle Schools Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond issued a statement that the District intended to return from the holiday break with in-person education on Monday, January 3.
Instead, schools in New Rochelle will remain closed until at least Monday, January 10.
On December 29, New York State Commissioner of Health Dr. Mary T. Bassett issued a memo to school superintendents on the state plan to retain in-person learning, all predicated on the delivery of millions of rapid tests to schools (through local BOCES):
In the coming days, school districts will be receiving an allotment of rapid tests that New York State has purchased for distribution to your schools. These tests are being provided to help your district achieve our mutual goal of keeping children in schools. While we recognize that the timing of the distribution of rapid tests is not ideal, and in many cases it may present some logistical challenges, we ask that you work with your local BOCES offices to obtain these tests and distribute them in the manner that will help your district keep kids in school.
There are a number of strategies to keep our children safe in schools. First and the best defense: get vaccinated, and encourage your students and their families to get vaccinated, as well. Increased vaccination rates, along with the effective use of well-fitting masks, are the way we can return closer to normal as soon as possible. Without higher vaccination rates, we all will need to continue implementing the various mitigation strategies in schools.
Below are some ways we recommend you use the tests that we are providing to your district:
• Implement Test-To-Stay: You can use rapid tests to begin implementing Test-To-Stay strategies in school. To fully implement Test-To-Stay, districts and schools will need additional tests, but the first delivery of rapid test kits can be used to begin the implementation of Test-To-Stay. Under DOH’s current guidance, if a county adopts Test- To-Stay, any asymptomatic unvaccinated school-based close contacts (e.g. students, teachers, school staff) can avoid school exclusion (but not other restrictions of quarantine) by testing negative through serial testing using rapid NAAT or antigen tests during a seven-day period following exposure. The exposed person must be tested a minimum of three times during a 7 day period following exposure. The person must have a negative test and be asymptomatic to return, but can do so without quarantine under this guidance. With the exception of attending school, the student/person is quarantined for all other activities, including extracurricular.
• Test on the First Day Back: Tests may be used by schools to test students and staff returning from holiday break. This is an approach that may help prevent COVID-positive asymptomatic individuals from returning to school.
• Use as Part of On-going Surveillance Testing: If allowed by your district, tests could be used as part of a surveillance or testing strategy to identify positive cases among the school population. The tests can be used to monitor students and staff in classes where there are exposures. Based on test results, if individuals are asymptomatic and negative, they would be able to remain in school.
On December 29, Raymond issued a statement that he would be following the direction of New York State:
New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State Department of Health are urging schools to reopen as scheduled next Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. The City School District of New Rochelle is monitoring updates from our state’s leadership, and intends to reopen for in-person education on Monday. We believe in-person learning provides students with a vital sense of identity and belonging, and helps students advance academically, socially, and emotionally.
To support in-person education, New York State will provide COVID-19 at-home test kits for distribution to communities. These easy-to-use tests, which provide rapid results, are safe and will be free. We await further information on when these kits will be available to the City School District of New Rochelle. We then will share distribution details, and any other timely updates, with our community.
On December 31, just two hours ago, Governor Hochul announced her Winter Surge Plan 2.0 which starts with students continuing to receive in-class learning:
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced Winter Surge Plan 2.0, a new targeted effort to bolster New York’s fight against the winter surge. Governor Hochul’s comprehensive plan focuses on five core areas: keeping students in school, doubling down on masks and testing, preventing severe illness and death, increasing access to vaccines and boosters, and working together with local leaders
The decision to move to remote learning in New Rochelle was driven largely by the failure of New York State via BOCES to deliver rapid COVID tests in time to re-open schools next week.
UPDATE: Sources say Governor Hochul held a conference call on Tuesday December 28, bypassing New York State Commissioner of Education Dr. Betty A. Rosa, to address school Superintendents across the state on her Winter Surge Plan 2.0 plan. One Superintendent on the call (reportedly Monroe-Woodbury School District Superintendent of Schools Elsie Rodriguez), expressed concerns that the test kits would not arrive in time to implement the Governor’s plan prior to opening school on January 3. Governor Hochul assured the group that regional BOCES’s office throughout New York would have the test kits on Thursday, December 30 so school district’s could receive the test kits on Friday, December 31.
New York State failed to meet the deadline set by Governor Hochul of 4 p.m. on December 30. One source says some regional BOCES offices have now received test kits for distribution starting on Monday, January 3.
Compounding matters, while the Center for Disease Control reduced the required quarantine period from 10 days to 5 days, New York State and Westchester County Departments of Health have not followed suit.
Without rapid test kits on hand at the schools, and difficulty for teachers and staff to get tested privately, and that student testing requires parental approval, there is neither the time nor resources to undertake the level of testing envisioned under Governor Hochul’s Winter Surge Plan 2.0 which includes everyone — well over 10,000 tests — on day one (January 3, 2022) and then 3 tests every 7 days or over 50,000 rapid tests.
Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond issued a statement at 7:45 p.m. confirming our previous reporting:
ALERT: Schools Switching to Virtual Learning for One Week on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.
A COVID-19 Safety Update from Superintendent Jonathan Raymond
Decision Driven by Rapidly Increasing COVID-19 Infection and Transmission Rates; District Monitoring Health Conditions with Intention to Reopen School Buildings on Jan. 10, 2022
Dear City School District of New Rochelle Family,
I hope your holidays have been joyous, safe, and healthy. I am writing to announce that the City School District of New Rochelle is switching to virtual learning for one week effective this Monday, January 3, 2022. Our intention is to reopen our school buildings for in-person education on Monday, January 10, 2022.
We arrived at this decision after careful deliberation over the last few days, given local conditions. Our decision is designed to protect the health, safety, and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. COVID-19 infection rates continue to sharply and rapidly increase, and the speed of transmission of highly contagious COVID variants represents another alarming component of this significant public-health crisis. The rates of infection and transmission have surpassed levels seen at the height of the pandemic last year.
The switch to virtual learning will impact students, instructional staff, school administrators, school administrative/ clerical staff, and school nurses. It will not affect certain other district employee groups such as facilities/custodial and security staff members, as well as Central Office employees and administrators, all of whom are expected to report to work as normal.
The move to virtual learning also provides the school district and our community important time to enact additional safeguards and programs:
The school district will soon receive a significant shipment of rapid-result COVID-19 tests, provided by New York State. The school district will use these rapid-result tests to develop its Test-To-Stay Program and help ensure as many students stay in school as possible. The Test-To-Stay Program is a strategy that allows asymptomatic unvaccinated school-based close contacts (e.g., students, teachers, and school staff) to avoid school exclusion while they are asymptomatic (but not other restrictions required of quarantining) by testing negative through antigen tests during a seven-day period following exposure. To qualify for the Test-To-Stay Program, exposure must have occurred in a school setting. Additional details on how to participate will be shared soon.
The community is encouraged to take a COVID test if potentially exposed or if exposure is confirmed. Westchester County provides free tests at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. To make an appointment, visit https://health.westchestergov.com
Students in all grades are urged to register for the school district’s weekly COVID-19 Saliva Testing Program. Participation is mandatory for students who engage in middle and high school athletics, as well as certain elevated-risk extracurricular activities.
Details https://conta.cc/3yPdCUN
The school district’s switch to virtual learning has several ramifications for the week of January 3, 2022 through January 7, 2022:
Before the holiday break, students were asked to take home their Chromebooks. For questions about accessing virtual learning, please contact your classroom teacher or the school district Director of Technology, Dr. Anastasia Tzortzatos, atzortzatos@nredlearn.org.
Extracurricular activities, including sports, will not be held.
Transportation will be provided for students attending private and parochial schools, for students who attend schools out of district, as well as for those who attend BOCES programs.
Students attending BOCES programs will be transported to and from New Rochelle High School. Schedules are unchanged.
In-district special-education students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) will participate in virtual learning, including related services. Transportation will be provided for special-education students attending out-of-district schools.
Students attending post-secondary institutions in person will continue to do so.
If your child does test positive for COVID-19 via a laboratory-conducted or at-home, over-the-counter test, please notify the nurse’s office at your child’s school. Your child will be excluded from attending school in person for 10 days following the first symptom (if symptomatic) or the test date (if asymptomatic).
Your school district understands that virtual learning is not ideal for some families. We continue to believe that in-person learning provides students with a vital sense of identity and belonging while helping students advance academically, socially, and emotionally. We look forward to safely reopening our buildings and thank every member of our community for your resilience, patience, and understanding as we navigate this unprecedented time in our history.
Please safeguard your family and our community by using COVID protection techniques, including wearing masks, social distancing, getting vaccinated, and receiving booster shots if eligible. To learn more about school district COVID-19 protocols, please visit our website, nred.org. Click on COVID Resource Center at the top right. In addition, an email address, covidquestions@nredlearn.org, has been established to answer COVID safety questions. A response will be provided in as timely a manner as possible.
We will continue to monitor the situation and make the best decisions for the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff. Updates will be provided as needed, and we look forward to partnering with you to provide a quality education for our children. Thank you for your understanding and patience in receiving this news on a holiday weekend.
Best wishes for a happy new year.
Jonathan P. Raymond
Superintendent
