With Additional COVID Case, Rye Middle School Goes Fully Remote for All

With an additional COVID case at Rye Middle School, school authorities have decided to move to a 100% remote learning status starting Monday for two full weeks.

“Due to the sheer number of faculty and staff required to quarantine based on exposure to the COVID-positive individual, combined with those already in quarantine for other cases, Rye Middle School cannot be open for in-person learning,” said Schools Boss Eric Byrne in a note to families. Those exposed to the COVID-positive individual are being contacted by school authorities Saturday. Further contact tracing will be handled by the Westchester DOH over the next few days.

The full notice follows.

From: Eric Byrne
Date: Sat, Nov 7, 2020 at 11:42 AM
Subject: Rye Middle School Will Be Fully-Remote Beginning November 9
To: Rye City School District Recipients

Dear RMS Families,

This morning the District learned of a positive COVID-19 case at Rye Middle School. Due to the sheer number of faculty and staff required to quarantine based on exposure to the COVID-positive individual, combined with those already in quarantine for other cases, Rye Middle School cannot be open for in-person learning and will be on a fully-remote schedule beginning Monday, November 9. Students will follow their regular schedule online during the fully-remote learning period. We anticipate that the Middle School will reopen for in-person learning on Monday, November 23. We will make a final decision about reopening the school building in conjunction with the Westchester County Department of Health (WCDOH).

Today, the District is contacting the students, faculty, and staff who were exposed to the affected individual to notify them and ask them to quarantine at the behest of the WCDOH. We will reach out first via an email, followed by a telephone call. If you do not receive an email or call, you or your student are not believed to have been exposed at Rye Middle School.

Persons identified as a contact of an individual who tested positive will also receive a call from a Contact Tracer in the next few days. Your caller ID may read “NYS Contact Tracing” or display a phone number with a 518 area code. Please answer these calls promptly. Your identity and any information you share will remain confidential. Please provide Contact Tracers with the information they need to protect the wider community.

Please know that we are doing everything in our power to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff and are working closely with the County Department of Health to manage this particular situation.

I wish you and your family good health during these extremely challenging times.

Sincerely,

Eric Byrne, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools