As the coronavirus spreads in New York, school districts are trying to answer pressing questions, such as the circumstances under which a school should be closed.

Superintendents have made clear to the state Education Department and other state agencies that they need guidance on fundamental questions, said Bob Lowry, deputy director for the state Council of School Superintendents.

“The number one priority is to get clarity on that,” he said. “When one school closes, that provokes the question [in other districts], ‘Why isn’t our school closing?’”

In Westchester County, where 18 of New York state's first 22 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed, two school districts closed on Thursday and Friday.

The two districts, Hastings-on-Hudson and Mount Vernon, said they had students and/or parents of students who were under quarantine because of possible exposure to the virus, so they were closing to disinfect their buildings.

In New Rochelle, though, the site of New York's first confirmed case and the epicenter of all 18 cases in New York, the school system has chosen to stay open.

Superintendent Laura Feijoo said the district is working with Westchester County and the state Education Department to develop plans for several scenarios.

Should New York schools close because of coronavirus?

Gov. Andrew Cuomo noted Thursday that it's not uncommon for schools to close because of the flu. His office said 16 schools in seven districts closed this winter because of the flu or strep throat.

"But now everything is viewed through this coronavirus," Cuomo said.

School districts are focusing on what may come next if schools close or large numbers of students stay home: How to teach by video.

The parameters of what schools often call “distance learning” would have to be worked out with teachers unions, since it would change the nature of teachers’ jobs, said David Albert, spokesman for the New York State School Boards Association.

Lowry said that some superintendents believe that their districts are “well positioned” to continue instruction by video, “while others do not have that capacity.”

He said there have been discussions of whether bus drivers could drop off and pick up instructional materials at students’ homes, although “that is off in the future.”

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Schools trying to determine next step in New York over coronavirus

School administrators from across Rockland County plan to meet next week to collaborate on distance-learning options.

“By aligning technology, teachers can develop and deliver lessons and materials remotely, maintaining continuity of learning,” Rockland BOCES spokesman Scott Salotto said. “All of our school districts and Rockland BOCES have already started developing these plans.”

Superintendents from the Lower Hudson Valley talked out their concerns during a conference call Thursday with representatives of the governor’s office and state Health Department.

Ossining Superintendent Ray Sanchez said they discussed a range of issues that will arise if students and staff don’t come to school, such as: Getting food to students who rely on school meals; making payroll; and meeting state requirements for the number of days and hours students must be in school each year.

“There may need to be amendments based on the circumstances we’re in,” said Sanchez, president of the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents. “Every time you turn around, there is another question to consider.”

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Schools look for guidance from state Education Department

Two-thirds of school board members across New York want more guidance and support from state and local health officials, according to poll results released Thursday by the state School Boards Association.

But officials stressed that school districts, county heath departments, the governor’s office, and the state health and education departments are in regular contact and will continue to work together to address the concerns of schools and families.

“We want to be consistent and concrete with our communities about why we are making the decisions we make,” Sanchez said. “We’re confident we will get additional guidance from the state. The sooner we receive it, the more time we have to make plans.”

The state Education Department said it soon expects to have more guidance for the state's roughly 700 districts. It last released any guidance to schools in mid-February.

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The Education Department's commissioner MaryEllen Elia abruptly resigned in July, several top staff left, and it has been operating with an interim commissioner.

“In conjunction with the State Department of Health, NYSED is closely monitoring the Novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," said Emily DeSantis, the department's spokeswoman.

"We are working with the NYS Department of Health to develop updated guidance for schools which reflects the latest CDC recommendations and will continue to update this guidance as the situation warrants.”

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One issue districts may have to face over the next month: Communicating with families that plan to travel internationally over spring break in early April.

Pleasantville Superintendent Mary Fox-Alter, who took part in Thursday’s conference call, said in an email to her community that districts are not currently permitted to keep children out of school based on travel, according to the state Education Department.

“However …we highly advise that any individual member of our school community who may have traveled to self-monitor and consult with their physician regarding precautionary measures,” she wrote. “We also highly advise that individuals and families who are self-monitoring to communicate with our school health offices.”