COVID-19 Closes Tuckahoe Schools Indefinitely
TUCKAHOE, NY April 1, 2020
by Margaret Scialonetti
Tuckahoe schools district Superintendent Joseph Cossaleone announced Wednesday morning that Tuckahoe schools would remain closed for the remainder of the 2019/2020 school year. The announcement follows an extension of the district’s original temporary closures spurred by the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus across the state of New York and Westchester County.
“It’s not the decision we were hoping for, but we are committed to placing the safety of our children, teachers and staff above all else, and it is the decision we feel is necessary to accomplish that goal,” Cossaleone said in a written statement to Tuckahoe school district staff and students. This decision comes as schools across Westchester County, the state of New York, and the country at large, coming face-to-face with the realities of COVID-19, are increasingly choosing to keep kids home until the fall.
“The school year will continue on its original timetable. School facilities will remain closed, but instructors will continue to provide self-directed coursework to students online and through external resources,” said Brunella Cheng, a Tuckahoe school district spokeswoman. “Our teachers have been responding to this fluid situation with flexibility and ingenuity and students will not be disadvantaged by this unprecedented turn of events.” Cheng emphasized they importance of parental involvement in their children’s coursework to ensure that children do not fall behind. “We know that many full-time parents are also full-time workers and now, suddenly, full-time school teachers. We commend you and applaud your efforts. Your work in the home with your children over this trying time is essential to their continued growth and education.”
When asked if Tuckahoe schools will be providing parents with additional instructional resources, Cossaleone confirmed that an emergency $45,000 expense had been authorized to provide Tuckahoe parents with access to online instructional coursework from HomeSchool.org, a non-profit organization offering instructional content for parents in homeschooling their children. The free services are set to commence in mid-April.
While the school district scrambles to ensure the remainder of the school year goes as smoothly as possible, officials cautioned residents about several potential disruptions.
Larry Walpole, Director of Facilities for the Tuckahoe School District, cautioned students and parents that Tuckahoe school facilities would undergone a level three decontamination to ensure that all biological agents would be neutralized before allowing students and staff to return. “With the help of the National Guard, we are going classroom by classroom sanitizing our schools to the highest standards prescribed by the National Health Service,” Walpole told reporters Friday morning. Level three decontamination calls for the decontamination of all fixtures, furniture and surfaces, and the destruction of all non-essential, moveable objects. This includes all school supplies, books, papers, crafts, clothing and bags left at the school by students last month. “Unfortunately, it all has to go. These items will gathered and incinerated. We apologize for the severity of these measures, but we are committed to our children’s safety.” School district officials informed parents that local drug stores would be offering additional school supply packs beginning May 1st to allow parents to replace items purchased in the fall.
School officials also cautioned that attendance and participation on online and self-directed coursework would be closely monitored. “Our Tuckahoe students are the best and the brightest and we have confidence that students and parents will be diligent over this remote education experience,” Cossaleone said. “But we must also hold our students accountable. Students who do not complete their assigned coursework with sufficient attendance or to a satisfactory degree will be required to undertake remedial on-line coursework in the summer months. Students who still fail to meet expectations should not expect to advance to the next grade upon returning to school in the fall, or to graduate, as the case my be.”
