Since schools in New York have been able to open for hybrid learning this fall, many feel the mental health and learning quality for many students has improved as we inch toward a sense of “normalcy.” However, that feeling may be short-lived.  While Scarsdale has had a few known positive COVID-19 tests among its students, has closed QR Elementary for one day out of precaution, and quarantined 80 SHS students due the recent PSAT exposure, many schools in Westchester and the NY metro area have also had to close in-person schools due to positive COVID-19 cases. Here is a glimpse of where some neighbor school districts stand.  It is a reminder that our vigilance toward preventing COVID-19 protects us all:

• Mamaroneck Union Free School District is fully online from Oct. 16-28 due to a number of newly-confirmed positive COVID-19 cases.

• Yonkers Public Schools also recently closed The Enrico Fermi School. They will be closed until Monday, Oct. 26 after a second staff member alerted the district of a positive COVID-19 test.

• White Plains School District decided to have Post Road Elementary School switch to remote learning until Oct. 28 after a positive COVID-19 case was reported on October 14th.

• Two employees at the W.L. Morse School in Sleepy Hollow tested positive for COVID-19 on October 12th. The school has decided to go to full remote learning on Oct. 13 and Oct. 14.

• Rye High school students had an early dismissal on October 9th after two positive cases were confirmed. Due to how many staff members and students are required to quarantine, the school is expected to be in fully remote learning until Oct. 21.

• Masters Middle School, a private school in Dobbs Ferry, closed for one day after a positive Covid-19 test.

• Lakeland school district also announced that two of their students tested positive for COVID-19, which prompted Walter Panas High School and Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School to switch to remote learning for Thursday and Friday.

• Two schools in Rye Neck closed for a week after two COVID-19 cases were confirmed at Rye Neck Middle School and Daniel Warren Elementary School. 

• Someone at Ardsley Middle School tested positive for COVID-19 in early October. This caused the school to move to remote learning for an extended period of time.

• Pleasantville Middle School switched to remote learning from Oct. 2- 16 out of caution due to one confirmed positive case.

All of the recent closures of in-person schools in Westchester should serve as a reminder that COVID is still a serious threat, and if we aren’t careful in following appropriate precautions, we may have to get used to online education even more.