Category: District News

The officers of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) voted this week to delay the official start date of the fall 2020 sports season. They also canceled the fall 2020 regional and state championships.

NYSPHSAA also announced it is prepared to implement a condensed season schedule in January 2021 if high school sports remain prohibited throughout 2020 due to COVID-19. This decision comes at the recommendation of the NYSPHSAA COVID-19 Task Force.

“As the state considers reopening, it is unrealistic to believe athletic seasons can start on August 24 as originally scheduled,” NYSPHSAA President Paul Harrica said. “The priority will continue to be on the educational process and a return to learning in the safest way possible.”

The NYSPHSAA officers’ decision includes:

• Delaying fall sports start date until Monday, Sept. 21.
• Canceling fall regional and state championship events.
• Waiving the seven-day practice rule.
• Maintaining current practice requirements.
• Encouraging geographic scheduling for games and contests.
• The option for schools, if permitted by state officials, to offer off-season conditioning workouts.

With regional differences, schools and areas will be impacted differently by the COVID-19 crisis. At the discretion of the NYSPHSAA officers and authorization from state officials, if the fall sports seasons are interrupted or impacted by COVID-19 crisis (i.e., state official guidance, school closings, cancelation of high-risk sports, etc.) then a condensed seasons plan will be implemented.

The Condensed Season plan would entail the following, with the stipulated dates being tentative.

Season 1, Winter Sports

Dates: Jan 4 – March 13

Season 2, Fall Sports

Dates: March 1 – May 8

Season 3, Spring Sports

Dates: April 5 – June 12

A Reopening Task Force with representation from all stakeholder groups is working on a plan for the reopening of Fort Plain schools in fall 2020. This work is based on all available guidance from the state and public health agencies as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

The task force held a virtual kickoff meeting earlier this month. The task force includes two subcommittees: Teaching & Learning and Facilities & Operations.

How are decisions being made?

The steering committee will make recommendations related to how schools reopen, as well as practices and protocols designed to mitigate risk, provide for the safety and health of all and ensure the best possible academic experience for students. Reopening plans will be submitted to NYSED on or before July 31st for final approval

The task force’s subcommittees are focused on all aspects of the reopening process, from transportation and disinfecting procedures to student scheduling, instructional planning and classroom setup. The Teaching & Learning Subcommittee is reviewing parent and faculty feedback from the virtual learning surveys to help develop next steps.

The topics being addressed by the subcommittees include:

• Remote Learning
• Health and Safety Protocols (students & staff)
• Mental Health/Special Education/English Language Learners
• Classroom and Transition
• Athletics/Extracurricular Activities
• Communication
• Scheduling
• Transportation
• Cafeteria/Nutrition

What will reopening look like?

The district is preparing for multiple scenarios for how school will take place in September.

Given the nature of the COVID-19 situation, this will be a fluid process. It is expected that all reopening considerations will be shaped by state and federal guidance, in consultation with local health departments.

No decisions about how school will reopen in the fall have been made. At this time, there has been no change to the school calendar for 2020-21. Instruction will begin on Sept. 8.

The district will submit plans for the following potential operating conditions for the 2020-21 school year:

• Full virtual learning: Buildings are closed and all learning occurs remotely from home.
• Blended approach: Certain student groups/grades/levels are in classrooms (e.g. social distancing, cleaning, masks) while others are fully virtual.
• Full opening: Buildings are open. All students are in buildings full-time with restrictions (e.g. social distancing, cleaning, masks) or no restrictions due to vaccine/CDC guarantees.

When will decisions be made?

Gov. Andrew Cuomo at his press briefing on July 8 gave an official timeline for districts to submit school reopening plans. He said he will make a decision on whether or not to reopen schools statewide in the fall by early August.

The state released finalized reopening guidance for school districts on July 13. School districts will then submit their safety plans for reopening by July 31.

Cuomo said New York state will review school district plans the week of August 1-7. The state then will approve, deny or suggest changes to those plans. A decision to reopen schools to students statewide in the fall will also be made by the state at that time, he said.

Communications: How can you stay updated?

This Reopening Our Schools page is the best source of information about the reopening plan.

Fort Plain will additionally use Remind to send text updates as needed through the summer. To sign up, text @fpcsd1 to 81010 and follow the on-screen instructions.

Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School Valedictorian Michaela Stockwell will be featured on WNYT NewsChannel 13’s valedictorian special, The Class of 2020 Speaks.

Stockwell’s speech will be included in a full two-hour special that will air Sunday, June 28 from 1-3 p.m. on My4/WNYA. WNYT anchor Jerry Gretzinger says snippets of a few of the speeches will run during a few newscasts on NewsChannel 13 this Friday, and it is anticipated the entire program will be shared online after it airs in its entirety.

The Harry Hoag Elementary School At-Home Learning site has been updated with summer enrichment opportunities. Please visit the page to access these resources.

The Athletics Department is accepting sign-ups for fall sports. Please sign-up using the following Google Form:

Fall Sports Sign-up Form

Sign-ups are for students who are currently in grades 6-11 for the 2019-20 school year. The deadline will be Friday, July 3. After that date, students can still sign-up with the coach. 

Fort Plain Central School District residents approved a $21,375,000 budget by a vote of 241-46. The vote was conducted by absentee ballot only because of the COVID-19 public health crisis. Votes were tallied on June 16.

“We appreciate the support from our community to achieve a successful budget,” Superintendent John Bishop said. “Our students will benefit from this budget that preserves existing programs and student supports and is aligned to our district goal of preparing students for success beyond graduation.”

The budget reflects a 2.03% spending increase and a 1.81% tax levy increase. The calculated “tax levy cap” for FPCS is 3.4%. The tax levy cap law only applies to the tax levy (the amount of taxes collected by the district), not to tax rates or individual tax bills.

Voters also re-elected three incumbent board candidates and approved a bus proposition.

Jeffrey Jones received 260 votes, David Przestrzelski received 253 votes and Todd McFee received 250 votes. Their three-year terms begin July 1.

The district also received write-ins for Craig Phillips (6), Val Waner (1), David Briggs (1), Alfonso Pinyero (1) and Stephen Heiser (1).

Voters approved the school bus referendum by a vote of 235-52. The approved referendum allows the district to purchase buses at a cost not to exceed $338,000 total. The referendum does not have an impact on the tax levy. It allows the district to replace aging buses and minimize maintenance costs.

The Harry Hoag Elementary School is proud to present a virtual tribute to our sixth graders. The Google Slides presentation includes messages from staff, memories from the students and lots of photographs to remember them by. Staff members were expected to deliver gift bags to each sixth grader on June 10.

The Fort Plain Central School District would like to take a moment to reflect on the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the subsequent protests that have happened across the country and in our own region. 

As a school district, we do not tolerate or condone racism. As a school community we are committed to equity — which means making sure every student has the support they need to be successful. Our district will continue to uphold our mission of providing each student with the opportunity to develop in a safe, orderly and positive school environment.

We would like to remind all of our students and families affected by these events that we are here for support. Please know that even though our school buildings are closed, resources are available. We encourage our families to reach out to a school counselor, a teacher, a school administrator or another trusted adult if they need support. 

As a learning community, we would like to take this opportunity to provide some resources to help families talk with children about issues of race in society.

• USA Today: Kids need to talk about George Floyd, protests and racism
• Penn Graduate School of Education: Talking to children after racial incidents
• American Psychological Association: Resources for Parents — Uplifting Youth Through Healthy Communication About Race

Even during this time of isolation, we are all in this together. Thank you for your commitment to helping us make the Fort Plain Central School District a place where all students can learn and succeed.