New Rochelle Schools Will Switch To Remote As COVID Spikes

Jeff Edwards
Updated ·2 min read

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The City School District of New Rochelle became the latest in Westchester County to temporarily switch to remote instruction rather than in-person classes, when students return from break on Monday.

In a letter to families, Superintendent Jonathan Raymond said that the district would not return to in-person classes until at least Jan. 10.

"We arrived at this decision after careful deliberation over the last few days, given local conditions," Raymond wrote in the letter released late New Year's Eve. "Our decision is designed to protect the health, safety, and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. COVID-19 infection rates continue to sharply and rapidly increase, and the speed of transmission of highly contagious COVID variants represents another alarming component of this significant public-health crisis. The rates of infection and transmission have surpassed levels seen at the height of the pandemic last year."

Raymond said that in addition to all instruction moving to virtual classrooms, all extracurricular activities, including sports, will be disrupted.

This marks a change from the district's stance that in-person classes could be held safely after the break and an insistence, as recently as Wednesday, that classes would resume safely as scheduled on Monday.

"New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State Department of Health are urging schools to reopen as scheduled next Monday, Jan. 3, 2022," Raymond wrote in the Dec. 29 letter. "The City School District of New Rochelle is monitoring updates from our state’s leadership, and intends to reopen for in-person education on Monday. We believe in-person learning provides students with a vital sense of identity and belonging, and helps students advance academically, socially, and emotionally."

The full text of Raymond's Dec. 31, letter announcing the decision to keep students at home for the near future can be read below:

I hope your holidays have been joyous, safe, and healthy. I am writing to announce that the City School District of New Rochelle is switching to virtual learning for one week effective this Monday, January 3, 2022. Our intention is to reopen our school buildings for in-person education on Monday, January 10, 2022.

We arrived at this decision after careful deliberation over the last few days, given local conditions. Our decision is designed to protect the health, safety, and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. COVID-19 infection rates continue to sharply and rapidly increase, and the speed of transmission of highly contagious COVID variants represents another alarming component of this significant public-health crisis. The rates of infection and transmission have surpassed levels seen at the height of the pandemic last year.

The switch to virtual learning will impact students, instructional staff, school administrators, school administrative/clerical staff, and school nurses. It will not affect certain other district employee groups such as facilities/custodial and security staff members, as well as Central Office employees and administrators, all of whom are expected to report to work as normal.

The move to virtual learning also provides the school district and our community important time to enact additional safeguards and programs:

  • The school district will soon receive a significant shipment of rapid-result COVID-19 tests, provided by New York State. The school district will use these rapid-result tests to develop its Test-To-Stay Program and help ensure as many students stay in school as possible. The Test-To-Stay Program is a strategy that allows asymptomatic unvaccinated school-based close contacts (e.g., students, teachers, and school staff) to avoid school exclusion while they are asymptomatic (but not other restrictions required of quarantining) by testing negative through antigen tests during a seven-day period following exposure. To qualify for the Test-To-Stay Program, exposure must have occurred in a school setting. Additional details on how to participate will be shared soon.

  • The community is encouraged to take a COVID test if potentially exposed or if exposure is confirmed. Westchester County provides free tests at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. To make an appointment, visit https://health.westchestergov.com

  • Students in all grades are urged to register for the school district’s weekly COVID-19 Saliva Testing Program. Participation is mandatory for students who engage in middle and high school athletics, as well as certain elevated-risk extracurricular activities. Details: https://conta.cc/3yPdCUN

The school district’s switch to virtual learning has several ramifications for the week of January 3, 2022 through January 7, 2022:

  • Before the holiday break, students were asked to take home their Chromebooks. For questions about accessing virtual learning, please contact your classroom teacher or the school district Director of Technology, Dr. Anastasia Tzortzatos, atatzortzatos@nredlearn.org.

  • Extracurricular activities, including sports, will not be held.

  • Transportation will be provided for students attending private and parochial schools, for students who attend schools out of district, as well as for those who attend BOCES programs. Students attending BOCES programs will be transported to and from New Rochelle High School. Schedules are unchanged.

  • In-district special-education students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) will participate in virtual learning, including related services. Transportation will be provided for special-education students attending out-of-district schools.

  • Students attending post-secondary institutions in person will continue to do so.

If your child does test positive for COVID-19 via a laboratory-conducted or at-home, over-the-counter test, please notify the nurse’s office at your child’s school. Your child will be excluded from attending school in person for 10 days following the first symptom (if symptomatic) or the test date (if asymptomatic).

Your school district understands that virtual learning is not ideal for some families. We continue to believe that in-person learning provides students with a vital sense of identity and belonging while helping students advance academically, socially, and emotionally. We look forward to safely reopening our buildings and thank every member of our community for your resilience, patience, and understanding as we navigate this unprecedented time in our history.

Please safeguard your family and our community by using COVID protection techniques, including wearing masks, social distancing, getting vaccinated, and receiving booster shots if eligible. To learn more about school district COVID-19 protocols, please visit our website, nred.org. Click on COVID Resource Center at the top right. In addition, an email address, covidquestions@nredlearn.org, has been established to answer COVID safety questions. A response will be provided in as timely a manner as possible.

We will continue to monitor the situation and make the best decisions for the health and safety of
students, faculty, and staff. Updates will be provided as needed, and we look forward to partnering with you to provide a quality education for our children. Thank you for your understanding and patience in receiving this news on a holiday weekend. Best wishes for a happy new year.

Sincerely,

‌Jonathan P. Raymond

Superintendent


This article originally appeared on the New Rochelle Patch