Reopening and the 2020-21 School Year
The LCSD Reopening Team – made up of administrators, teachers staff members, board of education members, school resource officers, parents and students – has met regularly throughout the summer to prepare for the start of the 2020-21 school year.
The Reopening Team has been planning the various aspects of reopening Liberty’s schools, including possible scenarios, transportation, and, most importantly, how to best keep staff and students healthy and safe while providing the most complete educational program possible. The result is the Liberty Central School District 2020-21 Reopening Plan: Reopening with Liberty Pride.
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Reopening Schedule | Riding the School Bus | In-School Protocols | Keeping the Community Informed
Reopening schedule for the 2020-21 school year
If you are a Liberty family that has opted for thy Hybrid Model in which students spend some days in school each week and some learning remotely, the Liberty CSD Grade-by-Grade Reopening Schedule provides information about when each grade will begin in-school attendance and on what days.
The Liberty Central School District is enacting several new transportation protocols to help keep our students safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Riding the School Bus
The District is enacting several new transportation protocols to help keep our students safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Students will socially distance while on the bus and will sit in assigned seats.
- Masks must be worn.
- Department of Health school bus capacity restrictions means there is a strict limit on how many students can ride a bus. Rolling V, which provides bus service for our students, will need advance notice for all changes to student transportation requests.
- Change requests cannot be made last minute nor on a daily basis. If your child cannot ride their scheduled route, you will need to arrange transportation.
- Families must provide prior notification of any permanent transportation changes.
- Change requests must be made in writing to the school office:
– Change requests received before the second Friday of the current month will take effect on the fourth Friday of the current month.
– Change requests received between the second and fourth Friday of the current month will take effect on the second Friday of the following month. - Check out this video, which explains what the new safety procedures will look like:
In-School Protocols
This school year, class sizes will be smaller, masks will be required and temperatures will be checked. That’s just a few examples of how we’re working to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Please watch our school-by-school videos to learn more:
Elementary School
Return to the Elementary School Presentation
Middle School
Return to the Middle School Presentation
Keeping the Community Informed
The 2020-21 school year will be unlike any other, and the district is committed to making sure parents, staff, students and community members are kept informed every step of the way.
This website and official LCSD announcements via our district-wide messaging system and letters home are the most reliable sources of information. We’ll also host a series of community forums and surveys to gather your input, and will answer questions as best we can as circumstances continue to change.
Questions?
We want to hear from you. If you have questions or would like to share your thoughts about reopening and the 2020-21 school year, email Questions@LibertyK12.org.
Mass Notification System
The district uses the SchoolMessenger System to send phone calls, emails, and text messages to Liberty parents, guardians and employees. SchoolMessenger uses the contact information on file with SchoolTool to send those notifications.
It’s important to make sure you notify the main office of your child’s school with any updates and preferences on the alerts you receive. If you’ve forgotten your SchoolTool password contact sstein@libertyk12.org.
Community Forums
LCSD virtual community are an opportunity to ask questions and hear up-to-date information from Superintendent Dr. Augustine Tornatore and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan. Information about how to join via Zoom or telephone is posted to this website prior to each forum.
- Community Forum: July 28
- Staff Forum: Aug. 5
- Student Focus Group: Aug. 6
- Community Forum: Aug. 13
- Community Forum: Aug. 19
- Staff Forum: Aug. 19 (Watch the Aug. 19 forum)
- Community Forum: Aug. 20
Tutorial Videos
This curated collection of tutorial videos will help parents talk to their children about COVID-19, the importance of masks and social distancing, proper hand washing and respiratory hygiene, and other important topics related to the safe and healthy return to school.
Surveys
Online surveys continue to help us understand the community’s concerns.
- Community Input to Better Serve Our Children: May 29
- Student Feedback on Distance Learning: May 29
- Community Input for Reopening: July 17
- Community Follow-up Survey for Reopening: Aug. 3
- Parent/Guardian Choice Survey: Aug. 11
Reopening with Liberty Pride
- The LCSD 2020-21 Reopening Plan (Updated January 2021)
- Grade-by-Grade Reopening Schedule
- Sullivan County BOCES 2020-21 Reopening Plan
- FAQs: Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about reopening
LCSD Plan Highlights
- Teaching and Learning
- MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports)
- Multi-Language Learners
- Social and Emotional Learning
- Special Education
Watch our Community Forums
- Wednesday, Aug. 19
- Thursday, Aug. 20
Health Checks and Safety
- Screening and Health Checks for Students and Staff
- Social and Emotional Wellness Resources from the LCSD Guidance Team
Resources
- Videos for Students
This collection of videos will help students understand COVID-19 and how to prevent its spread - How to talk to children about COVID-19
Ask Us
We want to hear from you. If you have questions or would like to share your thoughts, email Questions@LibertyK12.org.