If you were holding your breath in anticipation of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plans for school reopenings, better take another.
Because while the state released 23 pages of definitions and requirements for the plans schools must submit to get the green light Monday, there are few specifics and sometimes the information contradicts itself—and other information the state also has out there.
It looks like schools will have to submit three plans: one for in-person instruction, one for remote, and one that combines both.
Beyond that, they likely won’t know the specifics of what they’ll be required to submit until a “portal” opens, possibly Friday.
The plans are due by July 31; the state will begin deciding regions can reopen their schools August 1.
“I have a feeling we’re going to be getting almost daily updates,” Sharon Springs Superintendent Pat Green told his school board Monday, just hours after the guidelines were released.
SSCS will be joining other administrators in a conference call today, Wednesday, in hopes of getting at the details, he said, and they’ll be working together to develop their plans.
Principal Tom Yorke will also be holding “listening sessions” with staff, parents, and students to hear their thoughts and concerns.
“What do I want? School at close to normal as possible. Students back in school,” Mr. Green said, something that includes sports or even field trips like the ones students took to Broadway to see “Hamilton” just before COVID-19 closed it all down.
“But our number one concern has to be safety.”
SSCS’s size—just 235 students—may put it in a better position to do normal than larger schools, some of whom are looking at plans to bring in just elementary students while keeping high school classes online.
But if SSCS does have to go online, “This time it’s for real,” Mr. Green said.
When COVID first sent students online in March, the goal everywhere was just to keep them learning and grades were swapped out for pass-fail.
That won’t be the case if they end up there again.
“We’re in a good position here because all of our students have iPads and we pay for service,” Mr. Green said. “Kids didn’t have to search for a place with internet and we’re not starting from scratch. They already have these relationships with their teachers.”
Still it’s going to be a challenge and one that won’t stop when school starts in September—if it starts in September.
And certainly not how Mr. Green, who’ll retire in June 2021, planned to spend his last year.

DETAILS AND WHAT OTHER SCHOOLS ARE THINKING IN THIS WEEK'S T-J.