New York State schools are officially closed for the remainder of the academic year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today.
Despite the news that students won’t populate school buildings, the educational process and plans for a meaningful commencement experience continue.
“We’ll stay the course and hope that we'll get better guidance from the governor in the coming weeks,” said Anibal Soler Jr., Batavia City School District superintendent, moments after the governor’s announcement.
Distance learning will remain in place, while a decision on summer school is expected to come at the end of May.
Soler said his district will continue to provide meals, remote instruction to those who have internet access and dropping off packets of school work for those who don’t.
“We have to graduate kids and we have to provide grades; we still have those expectations regardless of traditional brick and mortar, coming-to-the-building experiences,” he said. “We will continue to try to keep our kids motivated and excited about school even though it’s such a weird time for everybody.”
Commencement was supposed to be on June 27, and Soler is holding out hope that Batavia’s seniors will “get a ceremony that they deserve.”
“I think time is in our favor here. Hopefully by then we’ll have some guidance on what we’re supposed to do, such as keeping everybody six feet apart,” he said.
He said having the ceremony at Van Detta Stadium, even if it’s late in the summer, would work well.
“We want to do it right and make sure people are protected and healthy as much as possible,” he said.
