As New York State begins to reopen, the Catholic schools in the archdiocese have formed a panel of experts that will focus on creating a safe and responsible plan to reopen their schools. The Catholic Schools Reopening Advisory Council will report to Michael J. Deegan, archdiocesan superintendent of schools.
To ensure all children and families of the school communities will be protected, the members of the task force will provide a diverse range of expertise and experience that includes medical professionals, regional superintendents and risk managers.
“From the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, we have been proactive and thorough in establishing policies to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff,” Deegan said.
“While there is no guarantee our school buildings will open on time for the next academic year, you cannot plan too much or too far in advance for an undertaking of this magnitude. The experts we have gathered on this blue-ribbon committee represent the elite from their fields, including public health, risk management, logistics, architecture and engineering. We have brought together the best because that is what our schools deserve.”
The members of the Catholic Schools Reopening Advisory Council include:
Catholic schools in the archdiocese serve nearly 67,000 students from pre-k through 12th grade across 191 schools in 10 counties and boroughs throughout New York, including Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, Sullivan, Orange and Dutchess.