Hudson Falls Reopening Plan 2020-2021 School Year

Use the links below to view Hudson Falls’ Reopening Plan that was submitted to the New York State Department of Education. If you have any trouble accessing parts of this plan, please contact questions@hfcsd.org and assistance will be provided.

On Monday, July 13, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that school districts in New York can follow plans to reopen for in-person schooling in September if COVID-19 infection rates stay at 5% or lower in a given region. 

While districts have been instructed to prioritize efforts to return all students to in-person instruction, the district is also planning for remote/distance learning as well as a hybrid model that combines in-person instruction and remote learning. At the time of this writing, HFCSD is working with our Teacher’s Association and our BOCES in developing a plan for a virtual academy allowing students who cannot return to participate fully in the educational program.

It is possible that we may need to alternate between in-person and remote learning throughout the year due to recommendations and guidance from our partnering agencies, and stay-at-home orders from the Governor. The level of infection, the spread of the virus and response to the disease in our community will be at the forefront of our decision making as we move to open our schools.

On Friday, August 7, Governor Cuomo asked all school districts to prominently post their plans for remote learning, testing of students & district personnel, as well as Hudson Falls School District’s contact tracing plan. That information is displayed in the sections below. Our full plans continue after that.

Hybrid & Remote Instruction

Given the possibility that communities may experience spikes in COVID-19 cases at any point during the school year, which may prompt short or long-term school closures, our district has developed a hybrid/blended learning model and schedule that can continue as is in a fully remote environment.

View the full Hybrid & Remote Instruction plan here.

View the full Hybrid & Remote Instruction schedules here.

Contact Tracing

To assist the local health department with tracing the transmission of COVID-19, the district has developed and maintained a plan to trace all contacts of exposed individuals in accordance with protocols, training, and tools provided through the New York State Contact Tracing Program. 

View the full Contact Tracing plan here.

COVID-19 Testing

The district requires students or staff with a temperature, signs of illness, and/or a positive response to the questionnaire to be sent directly to a dedicated isolation area where students are supervised, prior to being picked up or otherwise sent home.

View the full COVID-19 Testing plan here.

Instruction and Supports

The district is planning for in-person learning at the UPK-5 level and a hybrid model that combines in-person instruction and remote learning at the 6-12 level.

View the full Instruction and Supports plan here.

Health & Safety

The health and safety of our students, staff and their families is our top priority. We want students and employees to feel comfortable and safe returning to school campuses.

View the full Health & Safety plan here.

Staffing

All teachers and principals will continue to be evaluated pursuant to the district’s approved APPR plan.

View the full Staffing plan here.

Nutrition/Food Services

School meals will continue to be available to all students, including those attending school in-person and those learning remotely.

View the full Nutrition/Food Services plan here.

Transportation

The district will conduct transportation activities that are consistent with state-issued public transit guidance and NYSED school reopening guidelines. Students and school staff must wear acceptable face coverings at all times on school buses and should maintain appropriate social distancing.

View the full Transportation plan here.

School Schedules

HFCSD greatly looks forward to a post-pandemic era where we get to have all of our students back in-person in all of our buildings. Until then, pandemic safety, health, and hygiene requirements limit us to either hybrid or fully remote learning plans. Our goal always remains to bring as many students back as safely as possible.

View the full School Schedules plan here.

School Activities

At the time of this writing, we are not hosting extracurricular activities. Assemblies will only occur in a staggered format so that room capacity and social distancing can be maintained. This also applies to large gatherings of employees as well.

View the full School Activities plan here.

Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism

The district will continuously monitor the progress of our students. Teachers will be required to keep daily attendance and engagement records for all students.

View the full Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism plan here.

Technology and Connectivity

The district will provide multiple ways for students to participate in learning and demonstrate mastery of learning standards in remote or blended models.

View the full Technology and Connectivity plan here.

Communication and Engagement

The district remains committed to communicating all elements of this reopening plan to students, parents and guardians, staff and visitors, and the greater Hudson Falls community.

View the full Communication plan here.