COVID 5 Years Later: For North Country schools, pandemic was lesson in adaptation

Yahoo

20-03-2025

PLATTSBURGH — In 2020, an abrupt shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic struck schools across the U.S. with an unprecedented challenge of adapting the education system to remote learning seemingly overnight.
The sudden transition introduced a wave of mass uncertainty for students and their families, teachers and administrators.
Five years later, school districts continue to adapt and learn from the experience, which was a first for many.
Superintendents from across the North Country have reflected on the struggles endured and the progress made toward restoring a sense of normalcy in the last five years.
UNCERTAINTY
For James Knight, Jr., superintendent of the Northern Adirondack Central School District, the most difficult part of the pandemic was the overwhelming uncertainty.
'Frankly, the biggest challenge was all of the unknowns,' Knight said.
Knight said schools had to rely heavily on health departments for protocols, student aid and directives and this limited their ability to plan as 'independently,' as they were 'used to.'
'The controls we normally had were kind of taken away from us,' he said.
'It made it hard for us to find out what we could or couldn't do.'
Tara Celotti, superintendent of Crown Point Central School District, said there were challenges outside the classroom as well.
'Preparing how to educate our students and how to get them fed with free or reduced lunch, which a majority of our students receive, was the biggest hurdle,' she said.
Through the local Backpack Program, students were delivered pantry boxes throughout the week including breakfast, lunches and snacks.
'We transported breakfast, lunch, and snacks via the transport route every two to three days,' Celotti said.
Joshua Meyer, superintendent of Bouquet Valley Central School District, emphasized the difficulties of the transition to remote learning.
'In a district like mine, we're not one-to-one. We did not have the infrastructure for that and we were forced to transition to that very quickly,' he said.
Meyer's district worked with local internet providers to set up hotspots and provide digital resources.
School districts were tasked with rethinking education almost overnight.
Keene Central School District, led by Superintendent Dan Mayberry, was already one-to-one with technology, meaning every student had access to a device.
REMOTE LEARNING
However, remote engagement still posed challenges.
'Engaging with students remotely was the biggest challenge,' Mayberry reflected.
'In the building, you can walk around from classroom to classroom. It's harder to connect with the students on a screen. I think students and families felt a greater appreciation for person-to-person contact when we shut down, they missed that.'
For districts without one-to-one technology, the situation was even more difficult. Northern Adirondack Central School District delivered paper packets to students via bus.
'We were dropping off packets every week via bus and sending them back,' Knight said.
'And this was back when we didn't know how long to wait before touching things, so the packets would sit in the gym for a couple days before the teachers got them back. It was a long process.'
Despite the difficulties, there were some silver linings: schools became more flexible and learned how to adapt quickly.
'Schools, in general, are not so flexible with their regulations and procedures. Until COVID,' Meyer said.
The pandemic required schools to adopt digital platforms, increase technological literacy and find new ways to engage students remotely.
In May 2021, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced all New York state schools would reopen for in-person classes in September for the 2021-2022 school year.
Many superintendents reported that this shift was a welcome return, but not without its challenges.
'Now we're fully in person, students are engaged in group work. The wheels of progress continue to turn,' Knight said.
'We are in a pretty good place,' Mayberry said.
'Our students, faculty, and staff have all come back for focused learning. We are working on leadership opportunities for students — they are interacting.'
CLASS SIZES
According to Knight, smaller in-person class sizes during the pandemic might have given students an 'academic advantage,' over fully remote schedules.
'They continue to talk about how students are behind, but we are proud that Northern Adirondack students are in good shape,' he said.
'K-5 students had smaller classes, allowing the teacher to give more attention to each student. So they might be at an academic advantage. But some people were on a two or three-day schedule. They might have lost out on some of that time.'
One of the long-term post-pandemic challenges districts are facing has been attendance.
'Before COVID, we harped on how important attendance is,' Meyer said.
'But now we tell them 'if you are sick, do not come,' and we are still struggling.'
According to Celotti, attendance rates of their pre-K through 12 classes have not returned to pre-pandemic numbers.
'Probably out of fear. We tell them if you feel sick, you need to be out X amount of days — there are regulations. We instilled change in them, and they are still following the status quo,' she said.
MENTAL HEALTH
According to Meyer, the most significant and lasting effect of the pandemic is the mental health crisis it 'exposed.'
'The single biggest thing coming out of the pandemic was mental health,' Meyer said.
'COVID exposed all the inequities in mental health and care. Seeing that coming out of COVID and having a lot of candid conversations about mental health. It's a great thing. More students who need help are able to find the resources they need. That is one of the things we are very proud of.'
Celotti also emphasized the change noting both students and teachers in her district continue to struggle.
'A large percentage of staff have anxiety. There is a high rate of turnover and burnout,' she said.
The pandemic also led to significant staffing shortages throughout the system across school districts.
Many teachers who were close to, or thinking about retirement, chose to leave earlier than they might have otherwise.
'The pandemic made it very easy for anyone on the fence about retiring to retire,' Meyer said.
'Pre-pandemic, they maybe would have stayed three to five more years.'
In addition to teacher shortages, bus drivers, administrators and other essential staff left their positions.
'We had a bus driver shortage and had to ask the community for assistance, encouraging carpooling, and double bus rounds,' Knight said.
'That meant students would arrive late, but we had to make do.'
Despite these challenges, some districts have been able to look at it positively.
'We have been able to hire some really great staff,' Meyer said.
ATHLETICS
Athletics and extracurricular activities, which were severely impacted or entirely suspended by the pandemic, have largely returned to normal.
'We were the only district to cancel fall sports the first semester back,' Knight said.
'Numbers are still down, but will hopefully rebound.'
Meyer was relieved that students were able to participate in athletics, even if seasons weren't at full capacity.
'I was happy. All of our athletic teams had some type of season, not equal to normal and full, but something,' he said.
Field trips and other activities, such as science fairs, have also since resumed, allowing students to reconnect with each other and engage with the learning experience.
While most schools have resumed normal operations, superintendents acknowledge that challenges remain.
'I think it's a yes, but kind of situation,' Meyer said when asked if he feels his district has returned to normalcy.
'Certainly, I think most students and staff would say yes; however, there are a few points. Attendance, and there is definitely some learning loss to make up for.'
Celotti estimates that her district rates at a 7.5 or 8 out of 10 for normalcy, acknowledging the work is not over.
'There is still work to do, and we are making strides,' she said.
One of the more positive outcomes of the pandemic has been a shift in how schools use technology.
'We used to be a paper classroom, but now we are one-to-one,' Meyer said.
Though some classes still use textbooks, the integration of digital tools has become permanent in aiding students to adapt for the future.
Despite the struggles, superintendents remain optimistic about the future.
'We are doing a great job as a school, as a community, and as a state,' Celotti said.
'We are doing what we can to get through this.'