Schools in New York State are to reopen based on data, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday.

The state is divided into 10 regions; each is going through four phases of reopening, based on metrics.

Calling Guilderland’s fall reopening plan “a work in progress,” Superintendent Marie Wiles said, “We have not made any decisions on the structure … We’re doing our homework. We’re waiting for key guidance on the amount of distance we have to provide between and among students.”

“The state has directed all 700 school districts to come up with a plan on how they would reopen,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “There's two levels of discussion: Should they reopen and then, if they reopen, what does a reopened school look like in the ‘new normal?’”

To stem the spread of COVID-19, Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered that school district and library votes — for budgets and candidates — this year be pushed from the third Tuesday in May to June 9, and that voting be conducted by mail instead of through traditional polling booths.

“I think it’s the unpredictability that is the challenge here, trying to plan for something that we don’t really know what it’s going to look like or what our needs are going to be,” said Guilderland schools Superintendent Marie Wiles, discussing next year’s budget. “I do think we’re going to need more resources, not less as we open the school year.”

Berne-Knox-Westerlo’s senior planning committee is looking at other venues for the school’s graduation ceremony, typically held at The Egg in Albany,  that will accommodate social-distancing guidelines while allowing students a meaningful send-off. 

The Berne-Knox-Westerlo Board of Education voted this week, 5 to 0, to accept Superintendent Timothy Mundell’s proposed $23.4 million budget. 

“Every bit of every part of the work we do is rethought and needs to constantly be rethought again,” says Marie Wiles, superintendent of the Guilderland schools.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that all schools and colleges in New York will remain closed for the rest of the academic year and will continue to provide distance learning.