By Dani Heller
“While this is all overwhelming and our minds are focused on getting to the holiday recess and celebrating with family and friends, it is important that the District continue to be nimble and respond to the changing conditions around us,” District Superintendent Dr. Harrison said in an email Tuesday.
Recently, the Omicron variant has become increasingly widespread throughout New York State, driving a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases. The Irvington School District recorded 15 cases Monday and Tuesday alone, including ten at the middle-high school campus.
While the District is optimistic that it will not need to shut down in-person school following the holiday recess, Dr. Harrison says it is prepared to do so if necessary. The District has developed plans to allow students to continue learning safely through synchronous virtual learning, and Chromebooks continue to be distributed to all students that may need one.
In order to keep students’ education as a top priority, the district has also rolled out a new quarantine policy for unvaccinated students. Originally, if an unvaccinated student was in contact with someone that tested positive for COVID-19, they were mandated to quarantine. These unvaccinated students are now able to take part in the Test to Stay (TTS) program as long as no symptoms endure. The Test to Stay program allows these students to receive rapid tests daily from 6:45-7:45 am in the Dows Lane Elementary School Gymnasium. Students must test every school morning for seven days, and during this time period they are prohibited from participating in any extracurricular activities.
The district asks that any COVID-19 cases contracted during the holiday recess are reported through the school by completing this form.
