Monroe-Woodbury School superintendent issues five days a week instruction update

Monroe-Woodbury Superintendent of Schools Elsie Rodriguez issued the following earlier this week to M-WHS and M-WMS families:

Thank you for your patience while the district received clarification on how to safely proceed to five days in-person instruction. As always, our primary focus remains on keeping our school community safe. As I noted in my recent communication, the district received updated guidance from the New York State Department of Health on Friday, April 9. This document addressed new guidelines for in-person instruction, social distancing and the reopening of schools.

These new guidelines impacted our ability to initiate five-days-a-week instruction at the secondary level as originally planned for Monday,

April 19. However, after reviewing the guidance in its entirety, we believe Page 9 allows districts with schools in a high transmission area, such as Monroe-Woodbury, to move to shorter physical distances during academic instruction. Students and staff will continue to wear masks and we will maintain 6 feet of social distancing during lunch.

Our new target date for full reopening of the middle school and high school is Monday, May 3. According to the guidance, however, the school district must request feedback from parents prior to initiating in-person instruction five days a week. Specifically the document states, “Prior to making any change to reduce physical distancing to less than six feet during academic instruction, decisions must be made with community input. Responsible Parties must include opportunities for feedback from parents, community members, teachers and local departments of health.”

In consideration of this requirement, we have consulted with various stakeholders, including the school attorney, BOCES District Superintendent, local physicians and district staff. We are now asking our families to share their feedback.

I will update our families on the results of the Physical Distancing Survey on Friday, April 30.

Additionally, please view the School Reopening Update video where I discuss the highlights of the return to five days in-person instruction.

Warm regards,

Elsie Rodriguez

Monroe-Woodbury Superintendent of Schools