Gowanda School officials have sent a letter to parents letting them know the school’s position.

“We have a strong commitment to keeping every student and employee at GCS healthy and safe,” wrote Gowanda Central School Superintendent Robert B. Anderson.

He noted the school continues to implement additional protocols for further cleaning and disinfecting our facilities, including buses, and we will be assuring that staff have appropriate supplies for their classrooms, such as tissues, disinfectant products, etc. Hand sanitizer is available in common areas, such as the cafeteria, and soap is readily available.

Anderson noted the school has posted signs regarding effective handwashing, sneezing and coughing etiquette throughout the buildings and teachers are reviewing these procedures with their students.

“We are closely monitoring the locations of the outbreak as we consider our upcoming student school travel plans,” he continued. “We are evaluating the number of devices that we have available for our families in the event that this virus impacts us to the point that we are unable to have all students in school. We are considering modes of delivery of instruction under these circumstances to extent possible.”

Also, the NYS Education Department issued new guidance on March 9:

New guidance includes: “When a student or staff member attended school prior to being confirmed as a COVID-19 case, New York State Department of Health requires an initial 24-hour closure, in order to begin an investigation to determine the contacts that the individual may have had within the school environment. That investigation will inform the plan determined by the local department of health as to any further required closure, or other necessary precautions to take for specific classrooms, or for specific individuals. Such plan must recommend actions for future positive COVID-19 cases as well. During that initial 24-hour closure the school shall immediately take steps to clean and disinfect the school building(s) where the student or staff had contact prior to testing positive for COVID-19. That disinfection must be in accordance with NYS DOH guidelines and must be complete before accepting returning students.”