Hurley School nearing decision on fall start

By TOM LAVENTURE

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Hurley — The Hurley Board of Education will have options to consider regarding an in-school or continued virtual learning start to the fall semester by its next board meeting.

The administration is continuing to monitor the impact of COVID-19 and are preparing a multitude of scenarios and solutions for each one, said Kevin Genisot, school district administrator on Wednesday. 

“It continues to be a very fluid situation and final decisions will need to be made when the time gets closer to the start of the 2020-2021 school year,” Genisot said. “On June 15, I will be presenting the most likely option for the start of the school year. We will also be discussing what the months of July and August will look like for us.”

The school year is officially coming to an end this week and the staff will be collecting all textbooks, laptops, and iPads. The elementary school will conclude this semester’s online format today.

A survey of parents showed there was a preference to delay the kindergarten graduation until Aug. 26 rather than having a virtual graduation, according to Steve Lombardo, elementary school principal, at the previous school board meeting. An in-person graduation ceremony for the kindergartners will be held during the teacher in-service week if COVID-19 rules allow by then, he said.

If the COVID-19 pandemic does not allow for the August kindergarten in-person graduation, then a virtual alternative will be planned.

Work on the 160-by-320-foot lot expansion parking lot at Hurley K-12 School that will add 133 additional parking spots and adds a second entrance/exit to Range View Drive is expected to be finished within two weeks, Genisot said. The expansion nearly doubles the capacity of the existing 165 parking spaces.

The $83,681 cost was reduced from $139,000 with a change order to use recycled crushed asphalt as opposed to blacktop for the expansion lot. The lot is designed to ease event overflow and will not be needed as much for day-to-day parking, making the option viable, Genisot said.

The school continues to serve around 3,000 meals a week with its breakfast and lunch program, he said. The program is expected to continue until Sept. 1.