Photos by Tom Rivers

KENDALL – One of the most popular performers at local parades, the Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies, is taking off the season due to concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Lawn Chair Ladies are pictured above at last year’s Albion Strawberry Festival on June 8, 2019.

They are leaving open the chance for returning in the fall, if it is deemed safe to have public gatherings.

The Lawn Chair Ladies have been performing locally the past eight years.

“Okay, so we put off this decision for as long as possible: The Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies are cancelling their 9th marching season,” the group posted on its Facebook page. “Rehearsing in a group and participating in parades doesn’t seem like the smartest thing to do right now. We’ll look toward possible fall events, but for now we’re hunkered down, with our lawn chairs and boas tucked away. Sorry to disappoint our fans, but we’ll be back again as soon as is wise!”

Kim Corcoran and the Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies performed to “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra on Jun e 20 at the Kendall Firemen’s Carnival Parade. The group has been a crowd favorite for several years.

Provided photos

KENDALL – These signs were placed in front of the Kendall Junior-Senior High School to greet school staff this morning. Kendall students put the signs there to let the teachers and staff know they are missed.

“These signs were in front of the school when I arrived this morning,” said Carol D’Agostino, the school principal. “Our teachers, aides, secretaries, and custodians are working hard to support our students. Our bus drivers and cafeteria staff help every week to make and deliver food. It is amazing that our students wanted to recognize the outstanding staff at Kendall.”

“All of the parents and students appreciate each and everyone of you! Thank you for all the time you have taken from your own lives through this to reach out to all your students, whether to teach, comfort or just check in. Thank you for taking the time to put packets and lesson plans together. Thank you for making meals, and thank you for delivering them, thank you for delivering technology so the students can continue to learn! Thank you for zooming as chaotic as it can be, seeing your faces helps our students feel hope through a difficult time. Thank you for continuing to keep our schools clean and grounds looking beautiful. Thank you for helping us all through this!

“WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL!!! We miss you all!

“Stay safe and healthy”

Kendall PTSA

Cuomo also announces contract tracing program to be led by Mike Bloomberg, helping to control infection rate

Photo by Tom Rivers: The American flag is lowered at the Orleans County Emergency Management Office with the fire training building in the background. This site is on West Countyhouse Road in Albion. The governor has directed flags to be lowered out of respect for the victims of Covid-19 until at least May 15, while the state is on “pause” with schools and non-essential businesses closed. The governor today reported 474 people died from Covid-19 on Tuesday, bringing the state’s death toll from the virus to 15,302.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the New York State Department of Financial Services will direct health insurers to provide cash flow relief to, and ease administrative burdens on, New York State hospitals in response to COVID-19.

Relief provided to hospitals during the pandemic includes insurers’ immediate payment of outstanding accounts receivables, suspension of preauthorization requirements for all hospital services, and prohibition of retrospective review of claims.

DFS will issue a circular letter directing health insurers to:

• Immediately process for payment outstanding hospital claims;
• In collaboration with DFS, work with hospitals in insurers’ network to provide additional financial assistance if needed and feasible, focusing on community, rural, and safety-net hospitals;
• Suspend preauthorization requirements for all services performed at hospitals, including lab work and radiology, until June 18, 2020;
• Not conduct retrospective reviews of hospital claims, until June 18, 2020, subject to limited exceptions; and
• Not make medical necessity denials related to emergency department and inpatient hospital treatment for COVID-19.

“We are at a profound moment in this crisis where we are finally passing the apex of the curve, but if we make a bad move now it’s going to set us back,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’re beginning to make plans on how to re-open our economy and start the return to the new normal, but in the meantime we have to ensure our health care system and our hospitals that have been so critical in combating this virus have the support they need. The Department of Financial Services is going to issue a directive to health insurers to provide financial and administrative relief to our hospitals so they can continue safely and quickly providing the care that is so desperately needed right now.”

The Governor confirmed 5,526 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 257,216 confirmed cases.

Bloomberg will provide funding, leadership with tracing program

Cuomo and Mike Bloomberg also announced a new nation-leading COVID-19 contact tracing program to control the infection rate of the disease.

Mike Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies have committed organizational support and technical assistance to help build and execute this new program. The contact tracing program will be done in coordination with the downstate region as well as New Jersey and Connecticut and will serve as an important resource to gather best practices and as a model that can be replicated across the nation.

There has never been a contact tracing program implemented at this scale either in New York or anywhere in the United States. The program will launch immediately.

As part of this effort, The Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University will build an online curriculum and training program for contact tracers. The New York State Department of Health will work with Bloomberg Philanthropies to help identify and recruit contact tracer candidates for the training program, including staff from the State Department of Health, investigators from various state agencies, hundreds of tracers from downstate counties and SUNY and CUNY students in medical fields.

Bloomberg Philanthropies has committed $10.5 million, along with organizational support and technical assistance, to help build and execute this new program.

“We’re all eager to begin loosening restrictions on our daily lives and our economy,” Bloomberg said. “But in order to do that as safely as possible, we first have to put in place systems to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus and support them as they isolate”

Contact tracing helps prevent the spread of a virus by using testing to confirm if someone has COVID-19, interviewing that person to identify people they may have been in contact with during their illness and during the few days before symptoms began, reaching out to their contacts to alert them to their risk of infection and then referring contacts to medical providers and asking non-ill people to stay home for 14 days to be sure they don’t spread COVID-19 to others.

Contact tracing is a proven public health tool which can profoundly help “box in” the virus. Several countries, such as Germany, Singapore and South Korea, have used contact tracing effectively amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, those countries have been able to re-open for business quicker and have experienced fewer deaths and lower rates of infection.

Courtesy of Lyndonville Central School

Press Release, Lyndonville Central School

LYNDONVILLE – In honor of our Class of 2020 and National Decision Day, a day when seniors traditionally make their final college decisions, we would like to hear where our seniors will be in the fall. Whether your child will be going to college, headed into the military or starting a job, we’d like to know and share their exciting plans on social media.

Please send a photo to tcroce@monroe2boces.org by Friday, May 15, showing your senior’s intentions. The photo should include a picture of your child, their full name and include the following:

• College: Show an acceptance letter and any other college items you have. In the email please include the college name and intended major, if known.

• Military: If your senior plans to go into the military, please let us know which branch and include items such as letters, pamphlets, clothing, etc. you may have.

• Work/Trade: Did your student attend BOCES, was involved in an apprenticeship or had work experience? You can include items in the photo with your senior such as a chef’s hat or welding mask. These are just suggestions; we look forward to seeing where your senior might be working. Please include the name of the company/business if possible.

If you have questions email Tricia Croce, Communication Specialist, at the email above. We look forward to sharing your photo and hope to include each senior of the Lyndonville Class of 2020!

Press Release, NYS DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and the creation of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Because we mark these milestones during the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, today is less a celebration of our accomplishments over the last five decades and more a sober recommitment to move forward using science to guide us.

As Governor Cuomo has powerfully stated, we have entered a new normal with the environment. The state’s abundant fresh water is threatened by emerging contaminants, communities are burdened by air pollution, and we face an existential threat from climate change. New York has taken historic steps to protect our environment, but we cannot safeguard it for future generations without strong and dedicated partners.

New York is the birthplace of the modern environmental movement. For five decades, we have used science to guide our decisions, policies and regulations. The ongoing response to COVID-19 should remind us all to let science guide us to best address the challenges of the next 50 years.

I thank DEC’s dedicated staff, past and present, and our many public and private partners, for providing the strong foundation that will help us continue our legacy of environmental protection for all New Yorkers.

There are 14 more cases of Covid-19 in Orleans and Genesee counties, the Health Department for the two counties is reporting this afternoon.

Four of the new cases are in Orleans, with 10 in Genesee. The four new cases all include Albion residents. One person is in the 20s, one in the 40s, one in the 60s and one in the 80s. One of the new cases is a person who was on quarantine prior to developing symptoms of Covid-19.

Orleans now has 62 cases. There are four more recoveries, bringing that total to 22. Five of the current active cases include people who are hospitalized.

In Genesee County, the 10 new positive cases bring Genesee’s total to 140 cases. Of the new cases, five people cases reside in Batavia, two are from Darien, one from Alabama, one in Pavilion, and one in Pembroke.

One of the new cases is a person under age 20,  two are in their 30s, six are in their 40s, and one person is in the 50s.

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments is reporting one of the positive individuals was on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic. Two of the previous positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation, bringing Genesee’s total recoveries to 61. Two of the total active positive cases are people who are hospitalized.

Genesee has third death from Covid-19

Genesee County had one new death notification related to Covid-19. The individual was hospitalized and under the age of 65, the Health Department said. Genesee and Orleans have both suffered three deaths from Covid-19.

The Health Department stated the following in a news release:

Non-County Public Regulated Facilities

• In an effort to provide additional information on state and federally regulated facilities in both Genesee and Orleans counties, the health department will be adding some additional layers to our mapping tool later this week that will break out community versus (non-county regulated) public facility spread cases.

• In addition, we will be adding a chart to our websites and daily briefings that will detail the number of cases and deaths in the regulated facilities in our counties.

Testing

• There is still limited swabbing available in Genesee and Orleans counties. If you are experiencing symptoms, contact your primary care provider and they will determine if testing is right for you.  If the counties receive an increase in swabbing supplies and the protocol for testing is changed, we will notify the public.

Mental Health

• Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations and having to socially distance yourself from someone you love can be difficult. Below are resources that can help you connect to a professional that can help you through these challenging times:

• Care + Crisis Helpline is available 24/7 at 585-283-5200 or text  ‘Talk’ to 741741

• New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling.

Press Release and photo from Community Action of Orleans and Genesee

Head Start, a preschool program of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, is taking applications for preschool during the 2020-21 school year. Head Start has centers in Albion, Batavia, Kendall and Medina, with an enrollment of 189 children.

Since 1965, Head Start has provided quality comprehensive services in Education & Child Development, Health & Nutrition and Family & Community Engagement at no cost to parents. At Head Start, every staff member knows each child and family has unique talents and interests of their own. By partnering with families, providing individualized learning experiences and support, children and families learn, grow and get ready for school.

Children are eligible for the Head Start preschool program if they are 3 years old on or before September 15, 2020 or 4 years old on or before December 1, 2020 and if they reside in Orleans or Genesee counties. Priority for enrollment is given to foster children, homeless, families on public assistance or those whose income is below the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and children with diagnosed disabilities.

Families may begin the application process by calling the Head Start Administrative Offices in Albion at (585) 589-5683. Give your child a “Head Start” that will last a lifetime!

Photos by Tom Rivers: Bill Ingham of Morton rides his 1954 Model 40 John Deere tractor during the June Fest parade on June 2, 2018 in Holley.

HOLLEY – The Village of Holley June Fest celebration, scheduled for June 6, has been cancelled due to public health concerns with Covid-19.

The village announced the news today on its Facebook page.

“I am sure this announcement comes as no surprise to our community, given the current extension of the PAUSE until May 15 and the uncertainty of future social distancing and other requirements related to this public health concern beyond this date,” the village states. “It is unfortunate as this has been a fantastic and fast-growing event in our community and it is sad to have to officially cancel this, but we do have a moral obligation to consider our community’s health and welfare first.”

Holley is the second Orleans County community to cancel a big festival. Albion also nixed the annual Strawberry Festival this year. That event is the second Friday and Saturday in June.

Albion and Holley are both planning to have their festivals return in 2021.

Children enjoy a bounce house in Holley’s park during the June Fest in 2018.

Proposal inspired by Depression-era WPA, which tapped the unemployed to help the nation recover from a sharp economic downturn

Press Release, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) announced legislation to build the Health Force, which would recruit, train and employ hundreds of thousands of Americans in order to provide public health capacity for the surge in COVID-19 patients, prepare for future public health care needs, and build skills for new workers to enter the public health and health care workforce.

As the United States battles the coronavirus pandemic and lays plans to reopen the economy, Senators Gillibrand, Bennet, and their Senate colleagues are announcing one of the most ambitious and expansive public health campaigns in our nation’s history. The Health Force would provide jobs for thousands of recently unemployed Americans and directly support the nation’s efforts to recover from the current crisis.

“In the face of this unprecedented crisis, Congress must harness American patriotism, resilience, and ingenuity by establishing a Health Force to combat this deadly virus,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The new Health Force will put thousands of Americans back to work, creating a valuable workforce to respond to the coronavirus outbreak and meet existing and emerging public health needs. I’m proud to announce this legislation as part of the National Public Service Package, a vital, innovative approach to respond to this crisis.”

“This crisis is the greatest challenge our country has faced since World War II. And we can – and must – rise to the challenge with a broad and bold proposal to combat the virus and put our economy back to work at the same time,” said Senator Bennet. “Just as President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration mobilized millions of Americans during one of the most trying times in our nation’s history, our new Health Force will help bolster the COVID-19 response and put Americans back to work serving their communities and their country. We need ideas as big as the challenge we face, and the Health Force meets that test.”

The Health Force is inspired by the Depression-era Works Progress Administration, which similarly tapped the unemployed to help the nation recover from a sharp economic downturn. The Health Force would create a federally-supported and locally-managed program to train and deploy essential public and community health frontline workers, who could conduct diagnostic testing, contact tracing, or eventual vaccine administration. These positions would complement America’s highly trained and skilled medical professionals already fighting on the frontlines. The workforce would be trained by CDC and managed by state and local public health agencies across the country. The Health Force would be responsible for:

• Conducting contact tracing;
• Administering COVID-19 tests, including antibody tests;
• Providing COVID-19 vaccinations (when available);
• Sharing COVID-19 public health messages with community members, including debunking myths and misperceptions;
• Providing data entry in support of epidemic surveillance and to meet broader health information system requirements;
• Providing community-based and home-based services, including food and medical supply delivery to elderly and immunocompromised individuals;
• Providing palliative and hospice care;
• Providing other public health-related services, as needed.

After the current public health crisis concludes, the Health Force would provide grant funding and technical assistance to state and local health departments to hire and retain members to serve as health extension workers (HEWs) among vulnerable populations, in underserved areas and in future public health emergencies. These activities could include sharing public health messages with community members, providing home-based check-ins for new mothers and infants, providing vaccination schedule reminders for parents of children, connecting community members with health-related services (e.g. SNAP), and more.

The Health Force will be a new component of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Emergency Preparation (PHEP) which include 65 jurisdictions across all 50 states, territories, and tribal lands. The CDC will develop and implement Health Force training packages, while state, local, territorial, and tribal funding recipients will hire, supervise, and retain Corps members using new grant or cooperative agreement funding provided through PHEP and/or PHCR. States, localities, territories, and tribal entity funding recipients will actively recruit and manage Force members. Recruitment will reach on low-income, minority, and historically marginalized populations.

This legislation also includes the Resiliency Force, a proposal led by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), that mobilizes individuals at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the fight against the coronavirus by providing funding needed to hire and train 62,000 additional FEMA Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees (CORE) to perform public health and related functions as well as respond to natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires.

Along with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), FEMA is a key part of the whole-of-government effort to combat the COVID-19 outbreak and responsibly reopen the country in phases. However, FEMA’s workforce of approximately 14,000 must be significantly expanded to address the growing national needs of testing, and managing emergency supply chain logistics for states and communities in need.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Employees at Community Action of Orleans & Genesee distributed 300 boxes of food on Friday in Albion. The boxes have 25 pounds of canned and boxed food that are nonperishable.

Foodlink will be back in Orleans County soon to distribute boxes of food to local families affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Foodlink will be doing a distribution in Medina on April 27 at the Calvary Tabernacle Church, 324 Catherine St. (the old Medina High School).

This will be a drive-up only option from 3 to 5 p.m., with one box of food per vehicle. The parking lot will open to vehicle at 3 p.m.

There will be a walk-up outdoor food distribution the following day, April 28, from 9 a.m. to noon at Calvary Tabernacle.

Community Action also will be hosting its second distribution on May 1 from 9:30 to 11:30 at the Main Street Store on South Main Street, across from Hoag Library.

The agency was able to distribute 300 boxes of food on Friday during its first distribution with Food Link. Those boxes were all gone by 10:45 a.m.

No pre-registration is required. The food is offered on a first come, first served basis.

Drivers and passengers all have to stay in the vehicles with the windows closed. They pull up with the trunks open. When the food is put in the trunk and closed, the trunk is tapped to notify people to drive away.

More than 2,000 people have filed for unemployment in Orleans County in four weeks, according to the state Department of Labor.

The county has a workforce of about 17,000 people. The number of workers to file initial claims is 2,138 in the weeks ending March 21 (138 claims), March 28 (824 claims), April 4 (595 claims) and April 11 (581 claims).

That is far more than the same time period a year. The last week of March in 2019 had 39 claims filed in Orleans County, with 23 the first week of April and 21 the second week of April.

Unemployment claims surged after many were closed during the Covid-19 shutdown. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is keeping schools and many nonessential businesses closed until May 15. He announced on Tuesday he is forming regional councils to develop plans for reopening businesses. The governor said he is looking for incrementally reopening the economy.

The county typically has had about 1,000 people on unemployment. March 2010 was the last time the county had 2,000 unemployed. The unemployment rate was 10 percent then.

The unemployment rate was at 5.5 percent in February and 5.6 in March, before the mass unemployment claims were filed.

State-wide there were 1,210,947 unemployment claims filed between March 14 and April 11. That compares to 64,941 during the same time frame a year earlier.

Some of the industries seeing the biggest unemployment filings include retail trade, from 5,602 in mid-March to mid-April 2019 to 162,356 during that same period in 2020; accommodation and food services, 7,374 to 248,355; arts, entertainment and recreation, 1,934 to 46,544; construction/utilities, 11,255 to 112,895; health care and social assistance, 5,498 to 131,204; manufacturing, 3,971 to 63,398; professional, scientific and technical services, 3,571 to 41,928; and transportation and warehousing, from 2,565 to 49,455.

Press Release, New York State Association of Counties

The New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) has released a public service announcement saluting the local government workers across the state who are helping to lead the local response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PSA can be seen by clicking here.

“Many people don’t realize the extent to which the battle against COVID-19 is being fought by county government employees, and we salute the work that they are doing each and every day. I am humbled and grateful for the heroic services our employees provide to protect the public,” said NYSAC President John F. Marren, chairman of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors.

County government employees include but are not limited to:

• local public health officials protecting the spread of communicable diseases
• first responders helping those in need of health care
• 911 dispatch employees bringing needed assistance
• sheriffs and police officers who patrol and enforce executive orders and protect the public
• jail administrators who care for inmates and protect society
• emergency management personnel who coordinate the response and recovery efforts
• county onsite incident commanders (chief electeds) who fight each day for a better tomorrow and coordinate the response at the regional level
• county attorneys who guide the incident commanders
• social service employees providing temporary assistance, food and health insurance
• mental health workers who help us cope as we remain in isolation
• county clerks processing important legal documents for property, the court system and DMV
• district attorneys for upholding the rule of law
• public defenders providing counsel to those in need
• area agencies on aging protecting our senior providing meals and transportation for medical appointments
• consumer protection employees rooting out consumer fraud
• coroners and medical examiners ensuring dignity in death and reporting the cause of death
• veterans’ affairs employees making sure our heroes get what they need when they need it
• youth service employees ensuring childcare is provided for first responders and other services for our youth
• highway, sanitation and public works keeping our infrastructure safe and functioning

The PSA is part of a new public awareness campaign called NY Counties Lead, which is focused on telling stories from the front lines of this war.

“County leaders are the onsite incident commanders interacting with all local governments in the region,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario. “These county leaders serve as the generals in the field. The COVID-19 war will be won through a series of battles, and these battles are fought in our communities engaging the public at large. County leaders are constantly developing innovative ways to eliminate the spread of the virus, modeling courage at the local level and focused on strengthening our local communities during this global pandemic.”

As part of NY Counties Lead, NYSAC is detailing many of the ways that counties are working to stop the spread of the virus, address the challenges of social distancing, and/or deal with the social and economic impact that the global pandemic is having on their own communities.

“This is the reason we created the PSA, and this is also why it is critical for Congress to negotiate and pass a state and local recovery aid package that ensure that counties and states can continue to provide the services and programs that we need to stop the spread of COVID-19 and help those New Yorkers who need it most,” Marren said.

The Regional Transit Service, which operates public transportation in Orleans and seven other counties, has extended the temporary waiving of fares through May 15.

That aligns with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that the state remains on “pause” until at least May 15, with schools and non-essential businesses closed.

RTS initially waived fares on March 19 to help protect RTS bus drivers and customers. RTS encourages customers to follow the guidance of elected leaders and health experts by staying home whenever possible and limiting travel to essential rides only.

This includes trips to destinations such as the grocery store, pharmacy and medical facilities. When taking these trips, RTS also encourages customers to follow Governor Cuomo’s executive order to wear a mask on the bus and while in public, and to maintain a distance of six feet between each other on the bus, at the RTS Transit Center and at bus stops.

In Orleans County, RTS adjusted its service to operate Dial-A-Ride public transit service only. That started on April 6.

This shift is to help protect RTS employees and customers, and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, RTS officials said.

RTS Orleans customers can schedule a ride at least 24 hours in advance by calling RTS Orleans at (585) 589-0707. Dial-A-Ride service is available from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Press Release, Batavia Area Jaycees

Hayley Schmidt took this photo of the Erie Canal in Medina. She entered it in a photo contest for Earth Day.

The Batavia Area Jaycees have gotten creative to not let the Covid-19 pandemic ruin all of their plans. To celebrate Earth Day, the Batavia Area Jaycees are asking the community to vote for their favorite nature photo in their contest album that can be found by clicking here.

The photo with the most likes and reactions will win, and the Jaycee member who submitted the winning photo will pick a local charity for the service group to donate money to. Voting has already begun and will remain open until April 27 at noon. All photos were taken locally to celebrate Earth’s beauty in our community.

The group was originally supposed to participate in a litter cleanup event to celebrate Earth Day. With the state being on “pause,” that event was unfortunately canceled. The group brainstormed new ways to act out their mission while practicing social distancing.

The Batavia Area Jaycees is a group of young, active citizens ages 18-41 who work together to provide development opportunities that empower people to create positive change within themselves and our community. They strive to grow personally and professionally so that they can make an impact in our community and beyond.

The Jaycees are always accepting new members. The group will resume monthly meetings after the pandemic, so follow them on Facebook or email them at bataviajaycees@gmail.com to learn more information on how to become a member. The group currently has members from all over Genesee County as well as Orleans County.

District has stepped up technology to help students, teachers connect during shutdown

HOLLEY – The Holley school district would take a $2 million hit in state aid if the state does a 20 percent cut to school districts this coming year.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said school districts and local governments can expect funding reductions from the state. On Monday he said the cuts would probably be about 20 percent. Over the weekend he mentioned it could be 50 percent.

He wants the federal government to make up the difference, but the federal aid packages so far haven’t included money for state and local governments, which are facing drastic declines in revenue due to many sectors of the economy being shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Holley receives $10.6 million from the state in foundation aid. A 20 percent reduction would be about $2.1 million.

“That would be a significant decrease for us,” said Sharon Zacher, Holley’s assistant superintendent for business. “That would be horrible. I hope the federal government will fill the gap.”

The school districts normally have their budget votes and elections the third Tuesday in May. Cuomo has pushed those elections back to after June 1, at a date to be announced.

Holley hasn’t adopted its final budget yet or set the tax levy because it is waiting to see what happens with a possible state aid reduction, perhaps as soon as April 30.

In other during Monday’s Board of Education meeting:

• TENURE – The following were approved for tenure: Timothy Artessa, assistant principal in Elementary School; Zachary Busch, music teacher in Middle/High School; and Carrie Rebis, general education teacher in Elementary School.

• MEAL PROGRAM – The district starting next week plans to shift its meal program to three days a week. Students will still be provided breakfasts and lunches for five days, but the meals will be delivered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The district has been serving about 900 to 1,000 meals a day since it started the food program on March 18. The food is taken to five drop sites in the community.

Brian Bartalo, the district superintendent, said Holley wants to reduce the number of times cafeteria staff are gathered in a tight space, preparing the food. He noted other districts that were delivering five days a week are now down to two to three days, while still providing meals for the five days.

• TECHNOLOGY – Brendan Keiser, Director of Teaching & Learning, updated the board on how teachers at all grade levels are using technology to stay connected with students, and accept and grade homework assignments.

The district has sent 220 laptops to elementary students and 90 to middle/high schoolers during the shutdown so students can do their work online with a computer. Holley also has 20 hotspots and has distributed 14 of those to help students have internet access. The district still has six that it can provide to students.

Keiser said teachers have stepped up to the added challenge of working from their homes and learning new software and programs to work with students.

“Our staff has been phenomenal navigating through this,” Keiser said.

He said the district has also tried to support parents, letting them know they shouldn’t feel like they need to be teachers. He recommends parents try to help their kids get online, help them make sure them understand the directions of the schoolwork, and give the kids space to do their schoolwork.

Melanie Montague, president of the Holley Teachers Association, said teachers and families have been on a big learning curve, adjusting to classes through Zoom and other online programs. She urged parents and the students to try their best with the situation, but not get too stressed out about it.

“The lines are blurred,” she said during the board meeting, which was through Zoom. “But we’re all in the same position.”

• SPECIAL EVENTS FOR SENIOR CLASS – Bartalo, the district superintendent, and Susan Cory, the middle/high school principal, said they are hopeful seniors will be able to close out their school careers with prom, senior tea, graduation and other special events. The governor has schools closed until at least May 15.

“We don’t have any answers about some of our big events,” Bartalo said.

The district is hoping there will be a chance for the events even if they are celebrated later in the summer.

“We’re waiting on the governor’s orders,” he said.

Some districts have already canceled prom and graduation for seniors. Cory doesn’t want to do that yet.

“Keeping the possibility gives them hope,” Cory said about the senior class.

• BIG KINDERGARTEN CLASS NEXT YEAR – Karri Schiavone, the elementary school principal, said 97 students are registered for kindergarten in 2020-21. That is a big increase in class sizes for Holley. The current senior class has 81 students and that includes three international students. The junior class only has 57 students.