School districts across New York state who had spring breaks planned for next week must cancel them and continue to provide remote instruction for students during those day, the state education department said Tuesday.

Administrators were notified late Monday by state education department officials, and the new rule has been posted on the state education department’s website.

It says: Districts must continue to provide remote instruction for students, meals for students, and child care for essential workers every weekday between April 1, 2020 and April 14, 2020, even if the district is scheduled to be on spring break during that time.

Districts that don’t comply would jeopardize their state aid

Bob Lowry, deputy director of the New York State Council of School Superintendents, said while districts have been preparing for an extended closure of schools, he believes this took them by surprise.

The governor’s executive order on Friday closing schools until April 15 was updated to read: School districts must continue plans for alternative instructional options, distribution and availability of meals, and child care, with an emphasis on serving children of essential workers, and continue to first use any vacation or snow days remaining.

Lowry said school districts began questioning what that meant, and a webinar was held this weekend with the New York State School Boards Association, interim education commissioner and others to clarify.

Lowry said districts are learning about this today, and scrambling to continue remote instruction.

Some districts provided students with lessons and printed packets for the two weeks prior to spring break.

"Teachers and families have been working hard,'' Lowry said. “Some are feeling the strain.”

Collective bargaining agreements are usually followed, and this directive adds a week to teachers’ work schedule so how that will that be handled is a question, he said.

East Syracuse Minoa Schools Superintendent Donna DeSiato said teachers have been planning for possible extended school closures and can continue to provide lessons next week without difficulty.

The idea behind this is sound, she said. Continuity of instruction is important at this time, and also declaring an April break could lead some students and even staff to think of it as a “celebration” and forget about social distancing rules. The colleges’ spring breaks was a good example of what can go wrong, she said.

Some districts, such as Baldwinsville and Morrisville-Eaton, posted messages to parents about the break being cancelled.

Baldwinsville Acting Superintendent Joseph DeBarbieri told parents while the change may not be a popular one, the governor’s office believes "consistency for our school children with regard to instruction and food is a priority and should continue unabated.

"We know everyone has been working diligently for the continued care of our students,'' he wrote. “We also know that you may be dealing with collective anxiety and fear and, in most cases, were looking forward to some uninterrupted time together, even if unable to get away due to the state of emergency.”

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