WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Some districts have already started school. Others start in less than a week. Now, they have to adhere to yet another guideline set by the state.
Schools pick up right where they left off: concerned about COVID. But now there are more rules, just released.
Thursday night, the state approved an emergency regulation requiring weekly testing for teachers and staff unless they can prove they got the vaccine.
It’s no surprise to Jefferson-Lewis BOCES Superintendent Stephen Todd.
“We are moving already, we started moving last night. As soon as we read the guidance we started working on it,” he said.
Todd says the first order of business is finding out who is vaccinated, and who is not.
Some north country school officials were frustrated when former Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the Department of Health wouldn’t provide guidance for reopening. That was until the Education Department released a health and safety guide to assist schools and districts with their reopening plans on their own.
The late-in-the-game changes are challenging for St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES Superintendent Tom Burns. But, he admits it’s better than having no communication from the state, like it was before Hochul took office.
“I will say since she’s taken office there has been more communication with school officials and statewide organizations. But when you’re getting guidance in late August, it’s really hard for us,” he said.
Now schools, some of which have opened, have to find enough tests for staff who aren’t vaccinated to get tested every week, which Burns says isn’t a high number across the region.
“I would anticipate, and this is an estimate, that it may take us two weeks to get this up and running in terms of developing the protocols and also allowing public health to order the necessary materials,” he said.
Schools that violate the new testing requirement are subject to a $1,000 fine each week. The mandate begins immediately for all schools statewide, but it won’t be enforced until counties or districts get the testing materials they need.
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