August 12, 2021

Dear Catskill CSD Community,

Please allow the following to provide you with an update from last evening’s Board of Education meeting. During the meeting, I provided the Board and community with a status update for the need to await reopening of schools guidance from the State Education Department. The Reopening of Schools and Code of Conduct presentations were put on hold as it would have been counterproductive to present information that could potentially change as a result of the pending guidance from SED.

An additional public hearing and regular Board of Education meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday, August 18, 2021, at 6:30pm in the High School Library. It is our hope that guidance is provided prior to this date, so that we can move forward with the presentations to inform the community. If not, future meetings will be scheduled. I also intend to facilitate virtual town hall meetings for further communication and to gather feedback prior to the opening of schools.

In closing, the Board of Education approved my recommendation to amend the start date for the first day of school for students. As a result, the first day of school is slated for Monday, September 13, 2021. This will provide our staff with the much needed time to plan and prepare to receive our students. We also need to relocate staff who are in temporary locations as a result of the upgrades to our facilities. Again, the adjusted start date is Capital Project work related and has nothing to do with COVID and/or reopening plans.

As always, if you have any additional questions or concerns please contact me directly at (518) 943-4696.

Regards,

Dr. Ronel Cook
Superintendent of Schools