District set to discuss reopening guidelines for September; community invited to address the board in person

A special board of education meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow, August 11, after an announcement last week that New York State will not be providing guidance for the reopening of schools next month.

According to New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker, neither the governor’s office or Department of Health will issue reopening guidance, something most Long Island public school districts relied on from the onset of the pandemic. Because New York’s Covid-19 state of emergency was lifted, Dr. Zucker said in a statement on August 5, local school districts “should develop plans to open in-person in the fall as safely as possible.” He recommended following guidance from the CDC and local health departments.

In an email to the district the following day, Superintendent of Schools Robert Banzer called news that the New York State Department of Health would not be providing such guidance “unexpected and disappointing.” He indicated that forthcoming guidance from the Suffolk County Department of Health, “aligned with the most recent CDC guidelines” would inform the district’s decision-making for the start of the school year.

“A special Board of Education meeting has been scheduled to enable the board to be informed and discuss the issues relative to the latest guidance, and provide an update on the overall status of the reopening of our schools,” read Mr. Banzer’s email. When the district will be making a decision on its own reopening guidelines is uncertain; district officials did not have any information to share when asked if there will be a vote Wednesday evening, or when a decision regarding mask-wearing will be made.

As of the morning of August 10, the Suffolk County Department of Health had not released any guidance regarding the reopening of schools. Its “Summary of Updated Guidance for In-Person Instruction at Pre-K to Grade 12 Schools,” as detailed on the department website, was last updated on April 9, 2021.

Despite the uncertainty and concern for rising regional Covid rates attributed to the Delta variant, “planning for the opening of the 2021-22 school year is underway,” stated Mr. Banzer in his most recent email to the school community. The district’s top priority, he continued, “remains the health and safety for all students, as well as maintaining in-person learning.”

Topics expected to come up at the meeting include distancing and potential mask requirements, an issue that parents – and students – on both sides of the discussion feel strongly about, with preferences for a mask requirement, no masks and parental choice being widely debated.

The special board of education meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 11 at 6:30pm in the Northport High School auditorium. The meeting will be livestreamed for those that cannot attend in person. Residents wishing to address the board and voice their ideas/concerns on the issues must be present to do so. The next regularly scheduled board meeting is August 26.