As school year comes to an end, leaders edge toward a future without pandemic restrictions

Jun. 6—It's been 27 months since schools shut down because of the coronavirus and students switched to learning at home, then school part time, then full-time school with some restrictions.

As a third school year marked by a pandemic comes to a close, many are wondering if they've seen the last of the Covid-19 restrictions.

The answer has less to do with schools and more to do with the virus.

"This virus has thrown us a curve ball or two. One never knows for sure," said Dr. Thomas A. Russo, chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo's Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

With cases falling and hospitalizations decreasing, Russo said he's hoping the summer and early fall will not require more restrictions.

Covid-19 burst into the public consciousness in early 2020 and forced most schools into remote learning. The 2020-21 school year started either fully remotely, or in a hybrid model for many students, because of requirements that students remain at least 6 feet apart from one another. That meant attending school in person with masks two or three days a week, and working from home the other days, sometimes with spotty internet connections while parents worked from home to help their kids. As restrictions were lifted, schools returned to all day, in-person learning, but some schools did not fully return until the end of the school year.

Students and teachers entered schools last fall wearing face masks. They were subject to random testing and many faced 10-day quarantines if they came in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.

The 2021-2022 school year also featured test-to-stay programs — a desperate attempt to keep healthy children in school — cleaning measures continued and social distancing meant 3 feet instead of 6 feet.

What of the coming year?

"I'm hoping that when we start the school year, the community burden of disease will be low," Russo said. "I don't anticipate any mask mandates."

But that could change if a new variant arises that can evade the immunity from vaccination and prior infection, and causes serious disease in people.

"That's when I think there would be reconsideration of things like mask mandates," Russo said.

When the mask mandate was lifted March 2, it seemed to ease concerns, although some teachers and students continue to wear face coverings. Quarantines went from 10 days to five days for the unvaccinated, and sports returned to normal capacity.

"I have to stop and think about what it was like last year haggling with the governor's office and Health Department over requirements for end of year school ceremonies," said Robert N. Lowry Jr., deputy director of the New York State Council of School Superintendents.

As this year comes to a close, parties, proms, award ceremonies and graduations have returned. But like the last two summers, it's not known exactly what mandates will continue in the fall.

"We do not know what we'll be dealing with come September," Lowry said.

The state Health Department sent schools an update June 2 saying that testing requirements would be extended through June 30. After that, schools no longer are required to test unvaccinated teachers and staff weekly and offer weekly testing to students.

The advisory did not say what districts would be required to do in September.

Lowry also believes what happens in September depends on whether dangerous and contagious variants emerge.

"Absent that, we would think the start of the next school year would be similar to what's happening in schools now," Lowry said.

There are questions about whether schools would have to continue making daily reports to the state Health Department on the number of positive cases in students, teachers and staff and the number of tests they have conducted.

"That's something school officials have complained about and we hope it will not be continued next year," Lowry said.

Meanwhile, the state Board of Regents is expected to make a pilot program allowing remote classes on snow days permanent.

And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is to make a decision in mid-June on Covid-19 vaccines for children 6 months to 5 years old. Approving the vaccine for the youngest children would make vaccines available for all school-age and preschool children.

While some states will be requiring the Covid-19 vaccine for children in school, Russo said that does not appear to be on the agenda in New York for the 2022-23 school year.

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