COVID-19 Information

 

The Half Hollow Hills Central School District’s Reopening Plan for the 2022-2023 school year is designed to guide our practices and protocols to ensure a continued safe return to instruction for our students and staff. Our district continues to prioritize the health and well-being of our entire community as we enter the fourth school year operating under special guidelines due to COVID-19.

 

The 2022-2023 Reopening Plan applies to all of our schools in the district – High School East, High School West, Candlewood Middle School, West Hollow Middle School, Otsego Elementary School, Paumanok Elementary School, Signal Hill Elementary School, Sunquam Elementary School and Vanderbilt Elementary School.

 

Our plan is informed by the latest updates from New York State regarding their guidance for schools in managing COVID-19 during the upcoming school year. These new guidelines are aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s movement away from strict mitigation measures.

 

The full information about the updated guidance can be accessed on the New York State website, but the following highlighted points will help you understand the impact on all of us as we open schools.

 

  • In-person instruction will be provided for all students, and there will be no BOCES virtual option.
  • COVID-19 vaccinations are not mandated in New York for attending school, and there has been no change to the other required immunizations for students to attend school.
  • Masks and face coverings are optional, and we continue to respect the decisions by students and staff on whether they choose to wear a mask or not.
    • Masks are not required on school buses.
    • The NYS Department of Health recommends that individuals should wear a mask during days 5-10 after testing positive for COVID-19.
  • Quarantines are no longer required for close contacts.
  • Isolation for five days after testing positive for COVID-19 is still in place.
    • Please continue to report any positive cases using our online forms so we can help your family navigate the absence and your child continue their learning.
  • School districts are no longer required to conduct contact tracing; however, potential exposures will still be notified so that families can make informed health decisions.
  • Physical distancing and cohorting is no longer recommended, so student activities and groupings will return to their pre-pandemic norms.
  • We will have COVID-19 home tests from New York State available at all schools and sites for our families, and for any student or staff member who was potentially exposed and would like a test.
  • Employee screening testing is no longer required.
  • Schools are no longer required to report positive COVID-19 test results on a daily basis to the NYS Department of Health, however we will continue our district reporting on our website for the beginning of the school year.

 

Since the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic remains fluid, we will revise the plan when necessary and share those updates with our educational community.