School Closing Update March 16 2020

March 16, 2020

Dear KLSD Families,

As you’ve likely been hearing, Governor Cuomo has announced that schools across New York State are to be closed for two weeks and Westchester County Executive Latimer has declared a State of Emergency for 30 days effective today. County Executive Latimer also signed an order today that closes all schools in our County for two weeks, starting this Wednesday.

What does this mean for KLSD?

Our schools will be closed at least through Tuesday, March 31. That probably seems like an odd day and date in light of the Spring Break that is currently scheduled just a few days later. Based on the spoken words of our leaders, I think it’s very likely that we will be closed beyond March 31, but there are limits in the law on the length of time their orders can cover.

Before you ask why I don’t simply make the decision now to close for longer, there are reasons having to do with the State aid we receive and our need to comply with State regulations related to our school calendar. It is prudent, at this time, for us to comply with (and not go beyond) the decisions of our County and State leaders. Be assured that if I feel a different decision is appropriate as we approach March 31, I will make and communicate that decision. The health and safety of our community and the broader community will drive that decision.

While we are closed for school, all other activities continue to be cancelled as well.

As I’ve communicated previously, our teachers and administrators have been working to prepare online learning activities and you will begin to hear about those activities on Wednesday.

Knowing that some of our students want to pick up belongings such as glasses, instruments, and medications in school, we are going to open our schools this Wednesday from 8:30 to 2:30, and again from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. In order to minimize the size of groups, we ask that you stagger your visits based on the first letter of your child’s last name, according to the following schedule (The times will be flexible for families with children who receive services in multiple schools):

	JJHS	JJMS	KES	IMES	MPES
8:30 – 9:30	A - D	E - H	I - L	I - L	I - L
9:30 – 10:30	E - H	I - L	M - P	M - P	M - P
10:30 – 11:30	I - L	M - P	Q - T	Q - T	Q - T
11:30 – 12:30	M - P	Q - T	U - Z	U - Z	U - Z
12:30 – 1:30	Q - T	U - Z	A - D	A - D	A - D
1:30 – 2:30	U - Z	A - D	E - H	E - H	E - H
5:00 – 7:00	All schools will be open during this time, but nurse’s offices will not be open for collection of medications at this time.

We are making the late afternoon time available for those students/families who simply cannot make it earlier in the day, and we want to minimize the size of this group, too. So I ask that all students who can possibly come during the day, please do so. We are not able to provide bus transportation for obvious reasons.

Please be assured that online learning will not be dependent on any student materials that are still in school. Our teachers will make the necessary accommodations.

For any students and families who plan to visit on Wednesday, know that our buildings have been thoroughly cleaned. Of course, you may still choose to take the same precautions you may be currently taking when you visit any public space (gloves, wipes, etc.). We ask that visitors on Wednesday not linger in our buildings. Collect what you need and leave efficiently so as to keep the spaces as empty as possible for other visitors.  

Also, as communicated previously, we are providing lunches-to-go to those students in need. These meals are available each day at the entrance to our high school from 11:30 to 1:30.

You may also have heard that the County and State are asking school districts to plan for day care for the children of health care workers, EMS, fire, and police. We are working with the County to determine how this will work. It is likely that we will be reaching out to families in the coming days to determine the level of need in our District.

Finally, I remind all our students and families to consider in the strongest possible terms the cautions that are being issued by CDC and our local and state leaders. Our schools are closed to limit the spread of coronavirus. This is not a time to be gathering in groups outside school. The more effectively we can follow guidelines now, hopefully, the more quickly we can return to the kind of normalcy we all want for our children, our families, and one another.

Please take care,

Andrew Selesnick, Superintendent of Schools