• To date, NYS has not provided specific guidance as to the requirements for school buildings. There is limited guidance provided for in-person Extended School Year (ESY) Programs and higher education.
• Need for sufficient cleaning/maintenance staff to ensure that high touch surfaces are cleaned and disinfected at least daily.
• Signage required on hand hygiene, cough etiquette, use of face coverings, etc.
• Building flow should be mapped out to consider doors used for entrance and exit and to aid social distancing in hallways.
• Classrooms are expected to look different with desks or tables placed 6 ft. apart and all students facing in the same direction.
• Limited use of common areas.
• Changes to food service and reduced usage of cafeteria.
• Currently, face coverings are required of staff, but only recommended for students.
• The early executive order that changed the requirements on environmentally sensitive cleaning products and requiring competitive bidding for cleaning supplies is likely to be extended.
• Organizations such as the CDC, NYS Dep’t. of Health, and NYSED have recommendations for more effective ventilation systems and fire code compliant sneeze guards.

• Guidance is available for transportation from child care programs or summer day camps, but is not very specific.
• Recommendation is to seat students from back to front of the bus (so they don’t pass all their peers when entering).
• CDC recommendation suggest one child per seat seated in every second row.
• Connecticut guidance requires a masked monitor on each bus who checks for proper use of face coverings.
• Cleaning and disinfection of frequently used surfaces at least daily and preferably between each bus run.
• Transportation contracts typically include a requirement to abide by state and local laws and regulations, so a separate cleaning provision in the contract will not be necessary if NYS codifies this guidance in legal or regulatory form.
• Inability to amend some transportation contracts due to increased costs may create difficulties for districts and bus companies.

• Health and safety provisions may be determined by the state, including the need for daily temperature or question-based health screenings, and wearing face coverings.
• Employees with compromised immune systems may go through the district’s typical workplace accommodations process, which will include the need to demonstrate that the staff member can perform all essential functions of their job at home.
• Ensure all staff are provided with any PPE required.
• Federal and state law allows for expanded leave provisions due to COVID.
• Live-streaming remote lessons is expected to be a key bargaining issue. Although districts may require livestream lessons to ensure proper instruction of students, unions may object to items that revolve around recording lessons, who can view the livestream and recording, and potential use of recordings for evaluation purposes.

• Schools should plan to keep data on the programs and services for each student and how they are provided (quantitative and qualitative).
• Annual reviews should be occurring already and completed in the summer.
• Student evaluations are authorized to be in person this summer, similar to ESY (Extended School Year) programs.
• Additional PPE (e.g., gloves, gowns) may be needed for teachers working with multiple students or students who cannot wear a mask.
• If parents refuse in person instruction, the district must provide remote services.

• New stressors that children are facing and require support include illness/death, the economic fallout, navigating distance learning, and social distancing.
• Identifying students at risk includes monitoring attendance and grades as well as regular school contact with parents.
• The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has been working with the NYS Department of Education on a social-emotion transition plan for students at staff.
• Ensuring the social and emotional well-being of students will be critical.

• Karen Belanger, WPSBA Executive Director
• Cayne Letizia, WPSBA Board of Directors, White Plains Board of Education
• Scott Levy, WPSBA Treasurer, Byram Hills Board of Education
• Mary Fox Alter, LHEC Steering Committee, Superintendent, Pleasantville
• Joseph Ricca, LHEC, Superintendent, White Plains
• Ray Sanchez, LHEC Steering Committee, Superintendent, Ossining