New Rochelle Schools Release Coronavirus Plan

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The City School District of New Rochelle released its plan for addressing concern over the new coronavirus. Officials said this plan will govern the management of the district until it receives further or different guidance from either the state Education Department of the Westchester County Department of Health.

New Rochelle is at the center, for now, of the bulk of confirmed cases of COVID-19, as the virus is formerly known.

Earlier this week a 50-year-old New Rochelle man was diagnosed and hospitalized with the disease. Members of his family, friends and a neighbor and others in area have also been confirmed to have the new coronavirus.

The school district's plan, which can be accessed from the district's website, was "founded on best practices with input from our central administration team, district physician, building principals, director of special education and district counsel.

"We appreciate that NYSED and WCDOH are under tremendous pressure to respond to multiple inquiries from our neighboring districts and that is why we have taken the lead." the district said in a statement accompanying the plan.

New Rochelle schools said Wednesday that it would not be closing its facilities, as some other school districts and private schools did over concerns about the potential exposure to the new coronavirus.

Superintendent Dr. Laura Feijóo said its school buildings are sanitized on a regular basis.
The just-released plan said that the district will continue to provide hand-washing supplies and hand-sanitizer dispensers at every school and will continue to provide disposable wipes to be used at the discretion of the teacher.

The district will follow the instructions provided by the county for exclusion and readmission to any of its sites in the event any individual has been potentially exposed to the virus.

Officials said the plan, if there are any confirmed cases at any of the schools or offices, will be to close that specific school or office for one day to sanitize.

The district has not used any of its emergency snow days for the academic year, meaning there are still four days banked for the possible of a school closing.

Read the entire plan here.

SEE ALSO:

• Coronavirus: Expert Offers Common-Sense Reasons Not To Panic
• Coronavirus: 22 Cases In New York
• Westchester Announces Phone Numbers For Coronavirus Information
• Coronavirus: New Rochelle Schools To Stay Open
• Westchester School District To Close Due To Coronavirus
• Mount Vernon 2nd To Close Schools Over Coronavirus