OBSERVER Photo by Anthony Dolce Gowanda School Business Administrator Barb Smith, left, Superintendent Dr. Robert Anderson, middle, and school board Vice President Max Graham are shown at the school board meeting.

GOWANDA — Superintendent Dr. Robert Anderson gave an update on changing COVID-19 guidelines during a recent school board meeting. One big difference, he noted, is that the regulations put in place by the Erie County Health Department are now considered law.

“Things have changed quite rapidly since we met last,” Anderson said. “At that point we were talking about the Department of Health not releasing any sort of guidance or mandate, which has changed. Those regulations are in fact law.”

On Aug. 23, Erie County released guidance for PreK through 12 schools, and other counties are deferring to that guidance as well, including Cattaraugus County, which half of the Gowanda School District also lies in.

“It’s a big piece of information to come out in the last week,” Anderson said.

Anderson again stressed the school’s goal to keep all kids in school for five days a week, while keeping them as safe as possible. The school will rest on guidance from local health departments, as well as heavily monitoring community transmission rate.

School in Gowanda opened on Tuesday.

Similarly, while keeping kids in school and safe, the district also wants to ensure the students are able to experience some of the fun things typically associated with being in school.

Athletic teams are practicing and participating in sports, following all required health guidance for both indoor and outdoor events specifically. High School Principal Rebekah Moraites said the school is looking at options for the school’s Homecoming, which will be a ‘decades’ theme.

“We are looking at doing something outside in consultation with other districts,” Moraites said. “We’re looking forward to planning a pep rally outside.”

While sporting events do have some guidance, guidance for dances and other such extracurriculars doesn’t exist at this current time, making it so the Gowanda District has to make decisions on their own. The main reason for holding the event outside would be to limit the amount the students have to wear masks.

“In general, if we’re inside, we all have to wear masks,” Moraites said. “At homecoming, it’s hot. Kids are dancing. I wouldn’t want to be there with a mask on so that’s why we want to do something else so they can maintain some distance and not have to wear a mask the whole time.”

Gowanda Central School saw students return for the first day of classes Tuesday, while athletics began playing games during the week prior.