Cuomo: Decision About Fall High School Sports Coming in Days
Will NY high school kids be playing sports in the fall or not? Governor Cuomo says he'll make the call within the next week.
Currently, upstate New York public school sports are governed by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHAA). The NYSPHAA has pushed the opening of fall sports to September 21 - but even that date is not set in stone. There's an alternate plan that compresses athletic seasons for a January 1 start.
Other states have divided sports into risk categories, allowing 'low-risk' sports like golf, cross country, and soccer start in the fall, while higher risk sports like cheerleading, football, and basketball would have a "floating" season beginning in February.
In Central New York, several schools have proposed a hybrid instructional plan - with part of the instruction being delivered in-person, and part virtually. Several large teachers unions, including Syracuse and Buffalo, have expressed concerns about school reopening plans, saying they don't feel comfortable starting in-person instruction in the fall.
During the same press conference, Governor Cuomo acknowledged it's already "risky and problematic" to reopen schools, pointing to outbreaks at colleges like Notre Dame and the University of North Carolina. Governor put the responsibility for managing outbreaks back on the school districts, saying each districts needs to have strong policies for testing and contact tracing.
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