BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Despite months of data that shows there is little transmission of coronavirus within schools locally, Buffalo Public Schools will remain under a remote model until February.
Superintendent Kriner Cash was adamant about the delay in a phased-in return until February 1 due to the size of the region's largest school district and because the majority of students are minorities and may be disproportionally affected by the virus.
"A few months ago when we started, we were much less than (the current rates)," Cash said Thursday. "My decision then was to go remote and see how this disease progressed, get stronger in a remote learning environment, and make a decision as the weeks went by in the first quarter."
Staying in a remote model is disappointing for many parents like Jessica Bauer Walker, who has two children in the district.
"I think it's very challenging right now for families, especially our really high-need students like special education and English language learners," Bauer Walker said. "This seems to be a moving target for a timeline.
February seems pretty far away and on top of that, it will only be our higher need children. For most of our families, we're not sure when our kids will ever get back to school at this point."
Bauer Walker said virtual learning has improved, though it's not a sustainable way for kids to learn. She said kids are also missing the social interaction and wants the district to improve support to kids who are learning remotely and support for parents who are balancing the work-home life.
"I think we need to listen to the guidance," Bauer Walker said. "The governor and child development experts are saying kids should be back in school if at all possible. Schools are not the source of the spread of the virus. So, if there's families that need to be back in school, we have to think about how to do that and do it with some sense of urgency."
Cash believes schools will shut down immediately after opening because of the state guideline that said nine cases within a school will result in its closure. Bauer Walker said other districts are able to reopen and that it is causing an equity issue.
"If BPS is not going to bring kids back to the building, they need to figure out how to provide some level of in-person supports and do virtual learning differently for the families and students that it's really not working for right now," she said.
When asked about the district's decision to stay closed in February, Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein said the data shows schools are safe.
"All I can say is that I'm excited that they have a target when they can open up," Burstein said. "You'll have to ask them about the challenges they foresee. However, I am excited we'll hopefully be able to work with them to keep their schools open."
