Tuckahoe Union Free School District
Reopening Plans 2021-2022
Preparing every student for excellence!
Category | Guidance from SED, CDC, DOH, AAP | District Plan |
Masks | Indoors: Universal mask wearing for all students and staff regardless of vaccination status. Outdoors: Mask wearing optional. The CDC recommends that people who are not fully vaccinated wear a mask in crowded outdoor settings or during activities that involve sustained close contact with other people. Per the CDC guidance, schools that require people to wear a mask should consider: The possibility of reasonable accommodation for individuals who are not fully vaccinated and/or who are unable to wear or have difficulty wearing masks because of a disability. From NYS: Effective immediately, in accordance with the Commissioner's Determination issued pursuant to 10 NYCRR 2.60, any person over the age of 2 (including all students, personnel, teachers, administrators, contractors, and visitors) must wear masks at all times indoors in P-12 school buildings, regardless of vaccination status. People with medical or developmental conditions that prevent them from wearing a mask may be exempted from mask requirements, as documented by a medical provider. People do not need to wear masks when eating, drinking, singing, or playing a wind instrument; when masks are removed for these purposes, individuals must be spaced six feet apart. All mask requirements must be applied consistently with any state and federal law (e.g., Americans with Disabilities Act). | Indoors: In accordance with the state requirement to enact universal masking for anyone entering our schools (with exceptions for eating, drinking, singing, or playing a wind instrument), universal mask-wearing for all students and staff regardless of vaccination status will be required. Outdoors: Mask-wearing is optional. Mask exemptions will continue to be accepted. A request for mask exemption must be completed by a medical doctor using the district issued form. Requests for mask exemptions must be reviewed and approved by the district physician. Students with exemptions will be separated by 6 feet. |
Physical Distancing | Maintain at least three feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, physical education, and music, not involving singing or wind instruments will maintain 3 feet distance. Students in chorus or playing a wind instrument at least 6 ft of distance between students is recommended. In physical education, ensure any contact between activities is quick and not for extended periods of time. When outdoors, school should encourage activities that allow for distancing and reduced contact. A distance of at least six feet is recommended between students and teachers/staff, and between teachers/staff who are not fully vaccinated. | Striving for at least three feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, physical education, and music. Maintain at least six feet of physical distance between students who are eating, drinking, singing or playing a wind instrument. In physical education, contact activities will be quick and not for extended periods of time. When outdoors all effort will be made to allow for contact activities to be quick and not for extended periods of time. The district will adhere to these guidelines, except in emergency situations or when it is necessary to have closer contact due to instructional, physical , and emotional needs of students. |
Contact Tracing and Quarantine | School districts must continue to report positive cases to wdoh Via di wdoh portal. Only those who are required to quarantine must be reported. All individuals who test positive for Covid-19 must remain in isolation for 10 days from date of symptom onset or test date is asymptomatic. In the K-12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within three to six feet of an infected student (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) if both students correctly and consistently wear well-fitting masks the entire time. This exemption does not apply to teachers, staff, or other adults in the indoor classroom setting. According to the CDC, staff and students who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine after contact with someone who had Covid-19 unless they have symptoms. However fully vaccinated people should get tested 3 to 5 days after their exposure, even if they do not have symptoms, and wear a mask in doors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative. It is recommended that schools continue to contact tract and notify families of potential exposure to a monitor for symptoms closely 14 days from the date of the last exposure. Any students who begins to exhibit symptoms of "COVID"-19 should remain home and seek testing. It is recommended any activity is not in the classroom (recess lunch , support services and (schools keep records of seating charts and cohort students as possible to reduce exposure and assist with contact tracing. | The district will continue to report positive cases of "COVID"-19 to the Westchester County Department of Health. All individuals who test positive for "COVID"-19 will not be permitted back to school until cleared by the Westchester County Department of Health. The district will follow this guidance. The district will continue to contact trace and notify families of potential exposure following the guidelines of the Westchester County Department of Health and CDC. The district will maintain seating charts and cohort students when possible. While cohorting students at the elementary level is more logistically possible, given the number of secondary courses offerings we will cohort to the greatest extent practicable. |
Vaccinations | No Westchester County Department of Health requirement for vaccinations. Per Commissioner’s Determination on COVID-19 Testing Pursuant to 10NYCCR 2.62., schools are responsible for ensuring unvaccinated individuals working in the school setting get tested once per week. CDC recommends encouraging COVID-19 vaccination among all eligible students, staff, and household members as the most critical strategy to help schools safely resume full operations. The Westchester County Department of Health suggests that schools and districts may choose to work with local partners and the Department of Health to offer COVID-19 vaccination for eligible students. NYSED recommends that the protocol to collect, secure, use, and further disclose this information should comply with relevant and statutory and regulatory requirements, including FERPA. | No vaccination requirements for students at this time. TUFSD will adhere to Commissioner’s Determination on COVID-19 Testing Pursuant to 10NYCCR 2.62. The district has worked with Westchester County Department of Health to establish a vaccination site for eligible students and will continue to evaluate the need to create additional opportunities in the future. Staff and students have regularly been provided information on where they can obtain a vaccine. The district will request staff and students to provide COVID-19 status in compliance with relevant statutory and regulatory requirements, including FERPA and Privacy acts. |
Testing | Screening testing is a prevention strategy recommended by the CDC. Per Commissioner’s Determination on COVID-19 Testing Pursuant to 10NYCCR 2.62., schools are required to offer COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated students whose parents or guardians consent to such testing. NYDOH: September 2021 Recommends regular COVID testing and requires weekly testing for unvaccinated faculty and staff. School Districts and BOCES are required to establish diagnostic capacity for testing on-site or through referral for students, staff, and faculty who, regardless of vaccination status, are symptomatic or determined to have been “close contacts” of COVID-19 infected individuals. The District is referring staff/students to their health provider. | Governor Hochul stated that she was “launching a back-to-school COVID-19 testing program to make testing for students and staff widely available and convenient." Students who are not fully vaccinated must be offered the opportunity to be tested on a weekly basis, through a parental consent process, in areas where the rate of transmission of COVID-19 is in moderate, substantial, or high range, as determined by the CDC. All those faculty and staff members who are not fully vaccinated are subject to weekly testing for COVID-19 infection and those who are fully vaccinated must be included in the testing program unless they opt-out from the testing. Teachers who work at multiple sites need only be screened on time during the week. |
Temperature and Questionnaire Screenings | The CDC no longer recommends temperature screenings or screening questionnaires at school. However, schools should be proactive so that children experiencing "COVID"-19 symptoms should be tested for "COVID"-19 and stay home. Families should be reminded and encouraged to be mindful of indications that children may exhibit symptoms of "COVID"-19 and to see testing when such symptoms are present. | The district will no longer require the use of a screening questionnaire at school for students and staff. Visitors to the school must complete a screening questionnaire. The district will use the CDC created flowchart to assist in decision-making of a student becoming sick or report a new "COVID"-19 diagnosis at school. This chart will be posted on the district website as a helpful guide to parents and the community. |
Remote Instruction | According to SED, as long as it is followed by public health officials, school should be open for in person teaching and learning, and students should be in school. In cases of school closures due to a declared a public health emergency, schools should be prepared to provide remote instruction. SED does not require schools that are open for full-time in-person instruction to provide online or remote instruction, districts may work with students and families to offer remote options if it is deemed to be in the best educational interest of the student. | The district will provide full 5-day a week, in-person instruction. The district is fully prepared to pivot to a remote instruction model in the event needed for quarantine or a public health emergency. The district will not be offering a remote learning option during the 2021 to 2022 school year, absent a public health emergency. Students with doctor-documented medical needs, reviewed by the school physician, that precludes in-person school attendance, will be provided tutoring as per district home instruction policy. Parents who want to homeschool their student should contact the office of curriculum and instruction. |
Cleaning and Disinfection | The NYSED and the CDC recommend cleaning school buildings and school buses at least once a day to sufficiently remove any germs that may be on surfaces. The NYSED and the CDC state that if a school building has someone who tested positive for Covid-19 within the last 24 hours, it is important to clean and disinfect the space as soon as possible. | The district will comply with these recommendations. |
Sports and Extracurricular Activities | Both the CDC and SED recognize that school-sponsored Sports and extracurricular activities provide students with enrichment opportunities that can help them learn and achieve and support their social, emotional, and mental health. To ensure the health and safety of the students during these activities, the CDC recommends the following:
| The district concurs about the importance and value of Athletics and extracurricular activities The district will await guidance from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and section 1 and the Westchester Department of Health with regards to interscholastic sports and would adhere to requirements dictated by these organizations should screening or vaccinations for high-risk athletics and/or certain extracurricular activities become necessary, the district will comply. Students participating in indoor sports must wear a mask. Students participating in indoor band or chorus must wear a mask or any other extracurricular activity that involves increased exhalation. People who are fully vaccinated can refrain from quarantine following a known exposure if they are asymptomatic, facilitating continued participation in in-person learning, sports, and extracurricular activities. |
Spectators | No guidance has been provided. | The district will permit spectators at both indoor and outdoor competitions. Spectators attending indoor competitions will be required to wear a mask. Varsity and junior varsity home games will be live-streamed. |
Lockers | No guidance has been provided. | Lockers at the secondary level will not be used. Efforts will be made to avoid congregation in hallways and cohort classes. Athletic lockers will be permitted. |
Parent attendance at school events during the school day and after school | No guidance has been provided. | Parents will be permitted to attend scheduled meetings and activities during the school day. Group conferences will be held via zoom as possible. Health forms must be completed for entry into the building and masks and appropriate physical distancing will be required when indoors. Parents are welcome at evening events and must wear masks and appropriately distance when indoors. |
School Field Trips | No guidance has been provided. | The district will permit field trips and adhere to health and safety protocols. |
Use of School Building by Outside Groups | No guidance has been provided. | Use of facilities by outside groups will be permitted after school. All health and safety protocols must be diligently followed. |
Student Teachers | No guidance has been provided. | The district will continue to promote and encourage student teachers. |
Ventilation | No guidance has been provided. | The district will institute an “open window” policy, requiring that windows and doors always be kept open in naturally ventilated indoor spaces, unless there is a safety, security, privacy, health,or other significant reason for closing them. |
Return to School | All students, staff, and faculty who exhibit new or worsening symptoms of COVID-19 must be excluded from school, including those who have been fully vaccinated, until such individuals present a negative COVID-19 test result or stay out from school for a minimum of 10 calendar days from the onset of symptoms, the symptoms are improving, and the person is fever-free (without the use of fever-reducing medication) for at least 24 hours. Such return must be with a note from a health care provider stating that the COVID-19 test was negative or the individual is symptom-free, or by providing a copy of the negative test result. Symptomatic, fully vaccinated, individuals, are not exempt from the return-to-school protocols described above. | |
Test Required for Return to School | The standard COVID-19 test for return-to-school is the NAAT test. A negative antigen test, noted to be less reliable, may be used in lieu of the NAAT subject to certain criteria being met, as described in the NYSDOH September 2, 2021, | |
Persons with Pre-existing Conditions - not COVID-19 - Allowed in School: |
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Authorized Tests and Testing | Only FDA or NYSDOH approved tests may be used for screening, diagnosis, or pooled testing (if permissible). The laboratory determining the test results must be New York State approved. For high complexity NAAT testing, the laboratory must hold a clinical laboratory permit. | |