Reopening plans outlined for OMS, OHS
Jan. 22, 2021Dear Oswego City School District Community,
Earlier this week the district received information which indicates that several Facebook sites and different forms of media were asserting that we are not moving forward with our plans for reopening our middle and high schools and that we have no plans to do so.
In response to this misinformation, I am writing to provide clarity and updates to our community on our preliminary secondary reopening plans. Below is a list of facts for your review:
1. The Oswego Middle School and Oswego High School will be reopening soon – To be clear, in the near future (within the next 30-45 days) our Middle School and High School will be reopening. The district is diligently making plans to do so. Any information that is contrary to this is false.
2. The Middle School will reopen first – At this time we are working diligently to reopen our Middle School right after the February recess break, hopefully on February 22, 2021.
3. The High School will be reopening shortly after the Middle School – We are now planning for the High School to reopen in early March.
4. Surveying efforts have already begun – The district has already been surveying all secondary parents to plan for the reopening. All Middle School and High School parents should have received these surveys by electronic communication by now. Any parent who hasn’t received this information should contact their school principal’s office right away to inform them.
5. Stakeholder groups have already begun to assemble – In an effort to implement our plans with maximum efficacy, the district has already assembled nearly 30 district stakeholders (parents, teachers, support staff, students, health officials, administrators, etc.) to assist with reopening plans at the Middle School. This team has been meeting for several weeks to solidify their plans.
We are now at the point wherein we would like to begin to engage more at the high school level with stakeholders from the school. In fact, early next week, high school parents and/or guardians will receive a letter that invites them to be a part of our high school stakeholder reopening - planning committee. All parents and/or guardians who would like to be a part of these efforts will be asked to contact the OHS Principal, Mr. Patrick Wallace, to inform him of their interest.
6. The district’s final plans will be comprehensive – Given the numerous concerns that are a part of reopening schools during a pandemic, the district is committed to working collaboratively on ensuring the inclusion of the following items in our secondary reopening plans:
a. Implementation of measures that will ensure the health and safety of our entire learning community
b. Schedules that will provide continuity and consistency for student learning
c. Transportation scheduling that is socially distant and compliant with NYS Health Department regulations
d. Ongoing school-wide sanitation and cleaning; and
e. School-wide procedures and routines that are aligned with best practices that are associated with NYS Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control COVID-19 regulations.
As you can tell, reopening our secondary schools in the middle of this pandemic will not be easy. However, to be clear, separate from what may be reported through social media, our district is committed to reopening our schools in the near future and will do so in a comprehensive manner.
Please know, as we move forward I will be sharing additional school reopening information through our email – blast system and through the local media. The district kindly asks our learning community utilize these official resources as the go-to place for information.
Should parents or guardians have questions as we move forward, we ask that you please reach out directly to your child’s principal.
Thank you for your time and patience. Again, I will continue to provide updates as promised.
Yours in education,
Mathis Calvin III, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
