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Coronavirus Information
2024-2025
The following replaces all previous information as of March 4, 2024:
CDC’s Updated Respiratory Virus Guidance
CDC released updated Respiratory Virus Guidance in response to the decreasing risk that COVID-19 poses to the population. This updated Guidance includes strategies to protect people at highest risk of getting seriously ill and provides actionable recommendations for people with common viral respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, flu, and RSV.
If You Get Sick:
Even if you practice these core prevention strategies, you may still catch a virus and develop respiratory symptoms. If that happens, the updated Guidance recommends two actions:
Step 1: Stay at home. As much as possible, you should stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours after both:
Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
This advice is similar to what has been recommended for flu for decades and will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses during the most contagious period after infection. Not all respiratory virus infections result in a fever, so paying attention to other symptoms (cough, muscle aches, etc.) is important as you determine when you are well enough to leave home. If your symptoms are getting better, and stay better for 24 hours, you are less likely to pass your infection to others and you can start getting back to your daily routine and move on to step 2.
Step 2: Resume normal activities, and use added prevention strategies over the next five days, such as taking more steps for cleaner air, enhancing your hygiene practices, wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and/or getting tested for respiratory viruses. People can choose to use these prevention strategies at any time. Since some people remain contagious beyond the “stay-at-home” period, taking added precautions can lower the chance of spreading respiratory viruses to others.
https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/updated-respiratory-virus-guidance.html
September 2023
Masks
Masks are not required and are optional for all students and staff.
Classrooms/Lunchrooms
All rooms and spaces have returned to pre-COVID set-up.
Instruction
Instruction is in-person for all students.
Social Distancing
No social distancing protocols will be in place.
COVID Testing
There are currently no COVID testing requirements.
For the safety and health of the school community, individuals experiencing possible COVID symptoms are strongly encouraged to take a COVID test and to remain home until they are symptom-free or the cause of their symptoms has been identified as non-COVID related. (i.e., fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea).
Quarantine, Close Contacts, Contact Tracing
Follow doctor recommendations and CDC guidelines.
Close contacts of a positive COVID case are not required to quarantine.
Individuals exposed to COVID, regardless of vaccination status, are recommended to wear a well-fitted mask for a full 10-day period and get tested at least five (5) days after close contact or sooner if symptoms develop.
NYS COVID-19 Vaccination Leave (set to expire December 31, 2023) - Pursuant to Civil Service Law § 159-c, enacted in March 2021 and in effect until December 31, 2023, every school district employee is entitled to be absent and is deemed to have a paid leave of absence from their duties for a sufficient period of time, not to exceed four (4) hours per vaccine injection, unless they receive a greater number of hours pursuant to a CBA or as otherwise authorized by the District, to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Leave pursuant to Section 159-c is deemed excused leave and is not charged against other leave the employee is otherwise entitled to. The Department of Labor has published FAQs on this leave which specify it’s available for COVID-19 boosters as well.
NYS COVID-19 Quarantine/Isolation Leave (currently still in effect without an end date) - Pursuant to legislation enacted in March 2020, all public employers must provide at least fourteen (14) days of paid COVID-19 sick leave to an employee subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine or isolation issued by the State of New York, the Department of Health, a local board of health, or any governmental entity duly authorized to issue such an order due to COVID-19, for those days the employee is absent from work as a result.
During this leave, the employee is to be compensated at his/her regular rate of pay for those regular work hours during which they are absent from work due to the mandatory/precautionary order of quarantine/isolation due to COVID-19, without loss to accrued sick leave. There are certain exceptions such as for foreign travel. This leave is job-protected.
Ventilation and Cleaning
All schools meet mechanical ventilation requirements.
All cleaning and disinfecting protocols have returned to pre-COVID health and
safety requirements and standards.
Busing
Pre-COVID bus routing and seating will be in place.
Mask-wearing is optional for students and adults riding on school buses.
Athletics
All Athletics have returned to pre-COVID procedures.
Field Trips
There will be field trips.
Building Visitors
All pre-COVID procedures for building visitors are in effect.
Indoor Permits
All pre-COVID procedures for indoor permits are in effect.