Update: Governor announces schools may reopen in September

WCSD to continue planning and outreach efforts

On Friday, Aug. 7, Governor Andrew Cuomo gave the go-ahead for schools across the state to reopen in the fall based on current COVID-19 infection rates. The governor also outlined new requirements related to school reopening plans.

These requirements include highlighting plans for remote learning, COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, which are all parts of our reopening plan that was recently submitted to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and New York State Department of Health (DOH). 

Information about these three elements of our reopening plan are outlined, below:

Please keep in mind, our plan is intended to prioritize health and safety for our students and staff throughout the school year based on changing conditions. The instructional/learning components of the plan remain fluid to meet the needs of students. 

The Governor is also requiring schools to hold at least three information sessions for parents and members of the community to ask questions and learn more about our reopening plan. Previously on Aug. 4, we hosted a forum where we discussed our reopening plans with parents, students and the community via livestream. We are planning additional meetings on Monday, Aug. 10 for grades UPK-6 families and Wednesday, Aug. 12 for grades 6-12 families.

Our district administration worked diligently over the last several weeks to formulate a plan for reopening school in September. These plans were created based on guidelines from federal and state agencies, as well as feedback from community stakeholders, including our Reopening Committee. The committee – made up of faculty, administrators, staff, parents, students, school nurses, board members, healthcare professionals, and the acting Watervliet Chief of Police – met virtually during July to offer a range of perspectives that helped shape our reopening plan. We also collected data through a survey of our parents and students that was used to drive the development of our plan. We received input from our faculty and staff that helped fine-tune our plan before it was submitted to the state. View a copy of our complete reopening plan 

We are currently working to compile a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for the website that will be shared with families. We expect to have this information available on the website next week. In the meantime, if you have questions/concerns, please email communications@vlietschools.org.

We thank everyone for your continued patience and support during this challenging time. Please be safe and stay healthy!