Cuomo OKs fall reopening for Malverne, West Hempstead schools

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School districts in Nassau and Suffolk counties, along with the rest of the state, will be allowed to reopen to begin the new school year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last Friday. District leaders in Malverne and West Hempstead say they are ready to carry out their plans for the year.

“We appreciate Governor Cuomo for allowing us to move forward with the plans that we’ve carefully prepared for our students and staff,” said Malverne Superintendent Dr. Lorna Lewis. “Having that information, we can now begin to communicate with our families about the details of our plans.”

Lewis said that elementary schools in Malverne will return to in-person classes five days a week, while middle and high school students will be in class every other day, on a so-called hybrid schedule. The district is also putting together virtual classes for students and staff members who are medically compromised.

“We strongly believe that the children should be in school,” Lewis said. “But we’re doing it in a safe way, and we’re adhering to all of the CDC’s guidelines,” she added, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On July 31, the West Hempstead School District submitted its reopening plans to the State Education Department, while simultaneously unveiling them for public viewing on the district’s website. The plans were the result of weeks of planning and collaboration among administrators, parents, students and teachers.

Those plans call for the full reopening of district buildings to in-person instruction with strict social distancing guidelines in place. The district will divide students in all grades into two groups, and the two halves of the student body will alternate days between in-person and virtual class time.

“The 2020-21 school year will be our time to recover, rebuild and renew the spirit of the West Hempstead Union Free School District and community,” Superintendent Daniel Rehman wrote in a letter to parents. “Working together, educators, students, parents and community members will continue to address this challenge with Ram Resolve.”

The State Education Department is leaving the specifics of how to reopen New York’s 749 school districts to the districts themselves. They are empowered to make decisions about what in-person learning will look like, how much remote learning will be offered and how to implement safety protocols.

“We are giving flexibility to the school districts,” Cuomo said, similar to the state’s phased-in economic reopening, adding that “there was no one-size-fits-all” approach then, nor is there now.

Cuomo said he based his decision on the low infection rates recorded in every region. “If you look at our infection rate, we have the best situation in the country right now, as incredible as that seems,” he said. “We’ve been successful because we’ve been smart, and our school guidance is based on that … so if anyone can open schools, we can open schools, and that’s true for every region in the state.”

Cuomo emphasized that the communication between school districts and their communities is essential to address families’ and teachers’ concerns. He said he was requiring school districts to post their plans on their websites for public review by the end of next week. Specifically, he said, those plans must fully detail three “highly questioned” areas: remote learning options, protocols for testing of students and staff, and contact tracing plans in a situation where a student or staff member tests positive for Covid-19.

Cuomo is requesting that school districts have regular discussions with parents and staff. “Districts have to communicate with parents,” he said. “Parents need an opportunity to be heard, and schools should welcome the opportunity to explain their plans.” He said that districts should plan to hold “at least three sessions to give everyone the opportunity to participate between now and Aug. 21.”

The Malverne School District will hold a town hall meeting on Aug. 19, at 7:30 p.m., at Howard T. Herber Middle School, and there will be meetings at each school building throughout the day. The West Hempstead district will discuss reopening plans at its Aug. 18 Board of Education meeting, at 7:30 p.m. at West Hempstead High School.

“The more communication, the better,” Cuomo said, adding that he was also “asking districts to set up at least one discussion with teachers.”