September 16, 2020

Update Regarding the Fall Athletics Season

Dear Northern Adirondack Students, Parents, and Community,

A conversation was had during the regularly scheduled School Board meeting last night between the Superintendent of Schools and the 7 member Board of Education in regards to the Fall Athletics season. When the Governor of New York publicly announced that school sports would be allowed to start on September 21st without consulting Superintendents or school districts, he did not take into consideration the requirements that were necessary to reopen schools for academic purposes. Unfortunately, this was another major decision that was unfairly put into the hands of local school districts already struggling to safely open schools with all of the newly mandated requirements. Many of the guidelines and requirements in place and followed for the reopening of schools for academic purposes have been ignored or watered down in regards to interscholastic athletics, and the consensus decision of the Superintendent of Schools and the Board of Education was that they are not comfortable or in agreement with that. For example, a current Physical Education class must have students remain 12 feet apart while wearing masks for activities that raise the heart rate of the students, however student athletes would be allowed to practice and play sports like soccer as normal with mask wearing encouraged but not mandated based on the willingness and comfort of players. Ultimately a unified decision was made to cancel the Fall Athletics Season for Northern Adirondack Central School District. A decision will be made regarding the Winter Athletics Season as we get closer to the start date of that season.

Northern Adirondack CSD

Update on Fall Athletics Season