The City School District of Albany will begin January in a distance learning environment for all students out of an abundance of caution due to the dramatic increase of COVID-19 cases in the region during the holiday break.
All students from prekindergarten through grade 12 will engage in distance learning until the district resumes the in-person instructional model on Monday, Jan. 11, Superintendent Kaweeda G. Adams said. The district prepared for this possibility prior to the holiday break, Adams noted, sending in-person students home Dec. 22-23 with materials and resources needed for distance learning.
“Health experts at the state and local levels forewarned of a ‘surge on a surge’ during the holiday season, and that is what the data indicate we are experiencing,” Adams said. “To protect the health and safety of everyone in our school community, including our students, families, faculty and staff, we will transition to distance learning for all students for the first week of January.”
The superintendent also reminded all students, families and employees of the critical need to complete the daily health screener before reporting to school or work. Whether in a distance learning instructional model or in-person, students, faculty and staff are to complete the daily health screener to support our partnership with the Albany County Health Department for contact tracing.
Albany County reported 646 new COVID-19 cases Friday and Saturday as well as a positivity rate approaching 10%, among the highest infection rates in the state.
The district experienced 41 new cases from Dec. 23-31 – more than the entire month of November. The district’s daily average of new cases during the holiday break also increased by more than 50% as compared to the first three weeks of December. This has a significant impact on the delivery of quality instruction in-person and the supervision of students.
Average number of daily district cases (November-December):
- November – 1.3 new cases per day
- Dec. 1-22 – 2.4 new cases per day
- Dec. 23-Dec. 31 – 3.7 new cases per day
Earlier in December, the district transitioned all general education sixth-grade students to a full distance learning environment leading up to the holiday break due to the impact of positive cases on faculty and staff. The impact on students and employees also required individual classrooms and grades at some elementary schools to shift to full distance learning before the break.
The large increase in confirmed cases since then guided the district’s decision to take a cautious approach returning from the break, Adams said, adding that the district will continue to provide updates.
The district is developing plans for the distribution of meals and Chromebooks during the transition to distance learning. Please watch for more information.
District offices at Academy Park and Harriet Gibbons Student Services Center are open to the public by appointment only. Please use these phone numbers if you need to schedule an appointment at one of those buildings:
- Academy Park – (518) 475-6000
- Harriet Gibbons
- Central Registration – (518) 475-6125
- Pupil Personnel Services – (518) 475-6130
- Special Education – (518) 475-6150
- Transportation – (518) 475-6170
