Gov. Cuomo waives 180-day requirement for all schools in NY

With school closings across Westchester and the Hudson Valley mounting, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he is waiving the 180-day requirement for schools to ease the burden.

News 12 Staff

Mar 13, 2020, 10:11 PM

Updated 1,667 days ago

Share:

With school closings across Westchester and the Hudson Valley mounting, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he is waiving the 180-day requirement for schools to ease the burden.
Pomona Middle School is one of three schools in the East Ramapo School District where three students have tested positive for the coronavirus. The district moved quickly to put 2,500 students under self-quarantine by shutting down all of the district's 14 schools.
Superintendent Dr. Deborah Wortham says it's all about the kids. Wortham believes the entire district should remain closed for at least two weeks, but she's been reluctant to pull the trigger in fear that the district could face a $200,000 a day fine from the state.
The governor's removal of the 180-day requirement now clears the path for schools to do what they need.
Sen. David Carlucci says superintendents are put in a difficult situation when having to choose between safety and bankrupting the district.
Wortham says she plans to make a decision in the coming days on whether to keep schools closed until the district can get a better handle on the situation.
CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION: What you can do to protect yourself
PHOTOS: The impact of the coronavirus outbreak around the world:
undefined