At almost a year out of traditional schooling, our children need to be back in school. Full-time.

We respectfully ask that all students in our district be allowed to return to full-time, in-person instruction immediately. Given the updated guidelines from the CDC as of Friday February 12, 2021 wherein 6’ of social distancing is suggested but not required in schools, especially those in lower transmission areas, we ask that you revisit the NYSED and NYDOH guidelines as they stand. Please return our children to in-school learning, every day.

NYSDOH mandates 6’ of distancing OR masking. Gates-Chili Central Schools follow universal full-time masking procedures. Operating under the same guidelines given by NYSDOH and NYSED, Gates-Chili needs to modify the 6’ distance in classrooms to 3’. Masking and barriers should provide the supplemental protection.

We need our schools open fully because:

Significant data collected during this pandemic shows that 3’ of social distancing for children in school is safe, combined with other safety protocols in place (i.e., masking, barriers, health screenings). Teachers can continue to maintain a 6’ distance from students (ex. “Why 3’ of Social Distancing Should be Enough in Schools,” by Drs. Joseph Allen and Sara Bleich, Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, article appearing in The Washington Post, November 11, 2020).
As Governor Cuomo and Dr. Mendoza have both stated, our schools are one of the safest places for children to be (NYS Covid Report Card Data, 2/17/2021). The push to have our students randomly Covid tested helped prove this point, as most were negative.
Students of all ages are experiencing emotional, social, and physical distress from being out-of-school and without their teachers on a full-time basis. They are disengaged from their teachers and peers. They are struggling at home with learning; parents are not educators.
There are several opinion articles that state teachers feel they are working harder now than ever. The workload of teachers has doubled and their in-person time with students has been halved.
Again, we respectfully ask that you reopen our schools immediately on a full-time basis, while continuing to maintain the remote option for those who request/need it. We request the virtual option be integrated into classroom learning. Thank you for your dedicated service to our community.

This petition can be signed by parents or guardians of Gates-Chili Central students, Gates- Chili Central staff and teachers, or Gates-Chili residents. Please provide your name and email address where prompted. You do not need a Sign-Up Genius account to sign this petition.

Thank you.

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