Part 4:
Closure of School Facilities

The goal of the 2021-2022 school year will be to maintain full-time, in-person learning for as many students as possible for as long possible while maintaining a safe and healthy environment.

In case the local situation changes dramatically, and in order to be prepared and provide a safe, high quality educational experience for its students, Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES (HFHO BOCES) has developed contingency plans, protocols, and procedures for decreasing the scale or scope of in-person education, or closing its buildings to in-person activities and/or instruction as a result of increased numbers of COVID-19 cases, community transmission, exposures, etc.

Operational Activity

HFHO BOCES will make all decisions based on which operations will be decreased, or stopped and which activities may be conducted remotely based on the level of community spread, local vaccination rates, and directions from the local health department, as informed by guidance from the Centers for Disease Control. This could be any of the following, depending on the situation:

  • Implementing screening COVID-19 testing protocols for unvaccinated students and staff

  • Switch to fully Remote Learning

  • Implementing diagnostic COVID-19 testing

  • Closing of Building(s) to all outside visitors

  • Implementing strict cohort models

Communication

HFHO BOCES will communicate internally and externally in a variety of ways regarding potential changes in the way it is operating, including letters sent home, emails, social media posts, and through the use of the BOCES’ “all call” messenger system. HFHO BOCES has also developed a COVID-19 Information website that will include needed information regarded closures to in-person learning and/or the phased closure of school activities: www.herkimer-boces.org/page/covid-19info.

 

To download a PDF of Part 4: Closure of School Facilities, click here.