Florida School Bd. Faces Question of Fall Reopening

By Elise Fisch

The Florida Union Free School District Board of Education held their regularly scheduled meeting on Thurs., May 21, via remote teleconference, as has become customary during these times of social distancing. The meeting was arranged through Google Meet, and accessible to the public from their personal phones using a call number and pin code. The dial-in information is posted on the District’s website.

As new information continues to affect the decisions and requirements of educators, the board members say they’re making a concerted effort to stick to the original semester calendar, as much as possible while maintaining the most practical social distancing accommodations.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently mandated that the duration of all summer schooling in New York be done remotely, as was explained by Superintendent Jan Jehring. The District will comply with these requirements and will continue to follow the remote learning practices that have been implemented by the Board of Education since the school closures, practices which they were able to improvise and improve upon as things continue to unfold and rules about daily conduct are constantly changing.

Possibly the most ambiguous dilemma facing the Board is the issue of reopening for the fall semester. The state government has promised that more information regarding this topic will be released in June, and has ordered that every New York school district come up with a plan for reopening and to submit it to the state education department by July. What’s expected of the Board members is to consider the measures that will be taken to ensure the health and safety of students and faculty.

Superintendent Jehring has been organizing teleconference meetings designed to come up with solutions to maintain cleanliness and ensure sanitation. It will be necessary for the Board members to decide on procedures that will be followed by all students every day during the school year. With these tasks at hand, the Board maintains it is their first priority to ensure the welfare of the students.

Next Board Meeting 

The next School Board meeting will be held on Thurs., June 18 at 7:30 p.m. by Teleconference.  In-person attendance will not be possible, and meeting attendees will be able to listen to the teleconference.  There will be no Public Comment at this meeting. Dial-in information will be available on the district website.