Cayuga Co. schools heed Health Dept.’s warning; Most delay in-person learning until mid-January

Posted: Jan 3, 2021 / 12:12 PM EST / Updated: Jan 3, 2021 / 06:59 PM EST

CAYUGA COUNTY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — On Saturday, Cayuga County Health officials asked school districts to continue online learning due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

In a statement released, officials said, “Although school-aged children are not often associated with the spread of this virus, many schools experienced closures due to inadequate staffing available because of positive COVID-19 cases and quarantines of faculty and staff in our school districts.”

Officials believe that waiting three weeks past New Year’s Day will allow the county to better identify and monitor case increases. They also believe this will allow for more vaccines to be administered.

Cato-Meridian Central School District’s superintendent Terry Ward said keeping kids home is a necessary decision “given the fact that most of our cases happened just before the Christmas break, with staff members especially with the news over the break that we have several students in quarantine.”

Parents have expressed their concerns to Ward. But most say they understand it’s the best decision right now because of the high COVID-19 cases in the county.

2 Cayuga Co. officials recommending school districts do online learning until 3rd week in January

AUBURN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT: The district will learn remotely until January 19. They hope to return to in-person learning on Wednesday, January 20.

CATO-MERIDIAN CSD: The district has suspended in-person learning and will continue online until January 19.

MORAVIA CSD: Students in the Moravia Central School District will learn remotely until Thursday, January 21.

PORT BYRON CSD: The district has decided to suspend in-person instruction until January 19.

SOUTHER CAYUGA CSD: The district is taking the county’s recommendation and will hold off on in-person learning until January 19. This includes BOCES programming.

UNION SPRINGS CSD: Given the recommendation, the school district has decided to teach students online and return to in-person learning on Wednesday, January 20.

WEEDSPORT CSD: Weedsport students will learn remotely until Friday, January 8. In a statement on its website the district says, “While a return date for in-person learning remains to be determined, it is the present plan for families to expect students will be learning remotely through and including Friday, Jan. 8.”