August 4, 2021

Dear Families:

We are looking forward to our return to full-time, five days a week of in-person instruction for all K-12 staff and students this fall. Over the next several weeks we are enthusiastically anticipating the return to school activities and the start of the fall interscholastic sports season.

Last week, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) sent this letter indicating that school districts should base reopening plans off of the latest CDC recommendations that were released in July.

The CDC recommendations include the following:

• Students should be in school five days a week.
• Students and staff should be prepared to wear masks indoors — regardless of vaccination status.
• Physical distancing of 3-feet should be maintained indoors whenever possible.
• For added protection, schools should layer prevention strategies including hand hygiene, enhanced cleaning protocols, respiratory etiquette and screening testing.
• Students and staff should stay home when sick.

A change in our local transmission rate: The impact of the Delta variant

As COVID-19 evolves, we are learning that variants of the virus will pose a challenge. Updated CDC guidelines recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. This past weekend, Monroe County transitioned from a moderate transmission area to a substantial transmission area as a result of increased transmission rates of the Delta variant.

What does this mean for our schools during the month of August?

Effective Thursday, August 5: Students, parents, staff and visitors who are inside our buildings, working in offices and/or classrooms, and/or participating in interscholastic sports indoors will continue to be required to wear face masks. The District will follow the CDC recommendations until further notice.

Exceptions to this include:

• outside
• alone in an office or classroom
• eating and drinking while inside and distanced 6’ or to the greatest extent.

Our Priority

Our main priority is to safely return to full time school this fall, and help mitigate the community spread of the variant so we can seamlessly start the school year together. Medical experts agree that almost all new COVID cases are a result of the Delta variant, which spreads quickly; even vaccinated people can transmit this virus. The CDC’s recommendation to wear a face mask indoors adds another layer of defense for our school community and offers a barrier to community transmission.

The CDC and medical experts have also emphasized that vaccines are currently the most readily available option against COVID-19 and its variants—including Delta. While the COVID-19 vaccine is a personal choice and not required for school attendance, high vaccination rates can help schools safely return to in-person learning and extracurricular activities. If your child is 12 years of age or older, please consult with your family medical practitioner if you have questions about the vaccine and/or whether the vaccine is the best and healthiest option for your child.

What’s next? Will students need to mask in the fall when school starts?

We will be monitoring the CDC guidance and the NYSDOH as the Delta variant transmission rate evolves. It is still too early in August to confirm the status of our face mask policy for September as transmission rates may fluctuate in either direction moving forward. The District will confirm and communicate this policy in late August to determine where we are as a community.

Monroe County superintendents have advocated for local control of reopening decisions. We know regional factors like community transmission and vaccination rates, along with the effectiveness of layered mitigation strategies may influence a school district’s return to school plans. While we hope to have some flexibility and discretion moving forward, districts are obligated to follow all guidelines as directed by the state. If you are interested in voicing your thoughts and/or opinions, we encourage you to do so at the state level. Click here for contact information.

Thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and cooperation as we navigate this next phase of the pandemic and remain committed to a K-12 full time return to in-person instruction this fall. I will send updates as we learn more information.

Please see more updates below regarding our 2021-22 School Calendar. I hope you all continue to enjoy the remaining weeks of Summer!

Sincerely,

Brett Provenzano
Superintendent of Schools

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School Calendar Updates

For your planning purposes, we have created a new Parent Calendar linked in your ParentSquare account that lists all school events for the 2021-22 year. All confirmed events have been updated on this calendar, as well as our Community Calendar on our website (this is visible on the right side of the homepage at fairport.org). Click here to see the 2021-22 School Calendar (the first day of school is Thursday, Sept. 9).