What does a microcluster mean for Western New York schools?

The Binghamton and Union-Endicott school districts in Broome County fell within the first yellow zone in Upstate New York, which was identified about a month ago.

They did not have to close, but they did have to randomly test 20% of students and employees who attend school or work in person.

Districts in a red or orange zone – those with the highest concentration of Covid-19 cases – would have to close and go fully remote under the governor’s plan.

The governor did not specify which schools might be included in a Western New York microcluster, but he did specifically mention the high positivity rate in Buffalo, Hamburg, Tonawanda and Orchard Park.

Local superintendents have been discussing what would happen if a microcluster were designated somewhere in the region. They saw the governor’s announcement on Friday as their heads up.

“Superintendents across Western New York are ready to do whatever we have to do to limit the spread of the disease in our communities,” said Michael Cornell, president of the Erie-Niagara School Superintendents Association. “We absolutely recognize that we have a role that we can play – and we are ready to play it.”

Here’s what’s been happening in Broome County:

• Schools have been administering rapid Covid-19 tests. They involve inserting a swab about an inch into the nose – as opposed to other Covid-19 tests that involve inserting a six-inch swab. Each test takes about 15 minutes.
• There is no cost to any student or staff member who is tested.
• Schools cannot force anyone to be tested. Parents have the option of signing a consent form for their children to be tested at the school. They also have the option of having their child tested by their own health care provider, then sending the results to the school district. Once a parent gives the school permission to test their child, they have the right to revoke it later.
• A parent will be notified if their child is chosen to be among the 20% of students tested in a given week. Parents receive test results within 24 hours.
• It is possible for some schools in a district to fall within the zone – and therefore have to conduct the testing – and others to fall outside the zone. That’s what happened in Union-Endicott, where only four of the district’s seven schools are located within the yellow zone.
• Binghamton schools decided to delay the start of hybrid instruction by three weeks – later extended to four weeks – to give schools more time to implement the Covid-19 testing.

In WNY

In Western New York, school districts will rely heavily on their county health department.

“One of the things we don’t have as school districts is we don’t have tests. We don’t have a license to test and we don’t have personnel to test,” Cornell said. “So in our conversations with the department of health, they fully expect to be our willing and capable partner on those things that fall within the public health realm.”

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Friday that if the state imposes yellow zone restrictions, the county would need more rapid testing machines from the state to help meet testing demand.

The county currently has 10 rapid testing machines, which can deliver results in 15 minutes, as well as traditional Covid-19 tests, which can return results within two days, he said.

Districts would seek student and staff volunteers to be part of the random sampling, Cornell said.

Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein noted this week that there were 71 cases in schools across the county in September, but from Oct. 4 to Nov. 4, there were 215 cases.

She noted that the problem isn’t within the schools, which appear to be abiding by health and safety protocols, but with activities outside the classroom in the community. Burstein specifically mentioned travel sports as an issue driving cases among youth.

“We certainly understand why school districts would be included in this strategy, even though the infection rates in our schools are far lower than the infection rates, generally, in the population,” Cornell said.