Why some school closures in Dutchess persist despite more lenient staff COVID requirements
Pine Plains Superintendent Martin Handler climbed into the driver's seat of a school bus on Tuesday.
If the district was going to ensure classrooms would be open for the day, staff members with up-to-date commercial driver licenses were needed to help cover bus runs – the district's superintendent included.
On Wednesday, even that wasn't enough.
When more drivers called out sick due to positive COVID-19 tests, other illnesses and planned absences, the district had no choice but to switch to remote learning for the day. It's an issue that has triggered closures in Arlington, Millbrook, Dover and Pawling this month.
While the state and county health departments approved more lenient measures this month regarding staff quarantine requirements and broad contact tracing responsibilities, shortages in transportation departments and staffing in general continue to trigger closures.
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"In the building, if we are short-staffed, the staff is kind of interchangeable. If we are short teachers we can always have a teaching assistant or even an aide fill in," Handler said. "The problem with bus drivers is, you have to be licensed to be a bus driver. We can't just use anyone."
State officials last week announced districts could scale back formal contact tracing measures. In a letter to school districts, Dutchess Health Commissioner Livia Santiago-Rosado said the county is putting the responsibility on the individuals that tested positive.
"This change reflects the current diminished value of contact tracing due to the high prevalence of disease," Santiago-Rosado said. "When omicron is so prevalent in the community the assumption is there is a widespread exposure via multiple channels."
Districts are still required to notify individuals of positive cases, and exposed individuals will be asked to fill out a state quarantine self-attestation form and take part in a testing strategy.
Moving forward
Even with more lenient protocols for contact tracing, five-day quarantine periods, and the elimination of quarantine for staff who are fully vaccinated regardless of booster status, school districts are struggling to fill key positions.
Poughkeepsie has three school buildings that were remote last week. Beyond positive cases among staff, Rosser said many buildings the district have staff who are caring for family members who are sick with various illness or had planned absences that they could not find coverage for.
The district is in the process of creating a test-to-stay program, which Rosser hopes will help keep more staff in school.
While the new regulations will remove some of the requirements for contact tracing, several district leaders reassured parents in letters home they will still be notified if their student is exposed to someone who tested positive. Handler said contact tracing is still taking place when a positive student shares a seat with a student who tested positive on the bus, at lunch or is on an athletic team.
He said it is up to the parent of that child if they decide to quarantine or participate in the district's test-to-stay program. Those participating in test-to-stay are required to be tested twice within their five-day quarantine period before the school day.
"In our very limited experience this week under these new rules we are seeing that typically the parents are choosing not to quarantine the kids," Handler said.
As of Friday, Arlington, Beacon, Dover, Pawling, Pine Plains and Wappingers have posted messages on their sites notifying the school community of the elimination of formal contact tracing. A majority of districts across the county have also said they are allowing teachers and staff who are fully vaccinated but not yet boosted to forgo quarantining, as well.
The switch is one that has left district leaders hopeful they will be able to continue with more in-person instruction. Wappingers Superintendent Dwight Bonk said the culmination of all the changes, along with its test-to-stay program has allowed the district to stay in in person through the first part of the new year.
"The test-to-stay program continues to be instrumental in assisting with staffing shortages that are experienced on a daily basis, as those individuals who test negative are able to report to work and those students who also test negative are able to return to school," he said. "This allows us to provide as much in-person instruction for our students and staff in a safe school environment."
Katelyn Cordero is the education reporter for the Poughkeepsie Journal: kcordero@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @KatelynCordero.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Dutchess school closures persist despite COVID rules changed, lifted
