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According to governor.ny.gov, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced that based on each region's infection rate, schools across the state are permitted to open this fall. Every region's infection rate is below the threshold necessary by the State's standards to open schools. The Department of Health will review submitted reopening plans from school districts and notify districts of their status on Monday. Out of 749 school districts across the state, 127 have not yet submitted plans to the Department of Health, and another 50 are incomplete or deficient. The determination of how individual districts reopen - in-person vs a hybrid model - will be made by local school districts under strict Department of Health guidelines.

The Governor also announced that school districts must post their remote learning plan online as well as their plan for testing and tracing students and teachers. Schools must also have three to five public meetings prior to August 21 with parents - who will be allowed to participate remotely - as well as one meeting with teachers to go through their reopening plan.

"Based on our infection rate, New York State is in the best possible situation right now. If anybody can open schools, we can open schools. We do masks, we do social distancing, we've kept that infection rate down, and we can bring the same level of intelligence to the school reopening that we brought to the economic reopening," Governor Cuomo said. " Our school guidance has been touted as the smartest in the country. Our economic reopening guidance was the smartest in the country. So, if anyone can do it, we can do it. But we have been successful because we've been smart and we have to continue to be smart. Parents and teachers must feel safe and secure in each school district's plan to return to school, and those plans must adhere to the Department of Health's guidance. To ensure that is the case, New York's family's must be fully informed and part of the conversation. And so, over the next several weeks, school districts must engage: Talking to parents and teachers and getting all parties on board."

Of the 70,170 test results reported to New York State yesterday, 714, or 1.0 percent, were positive.

Today I am joined by Superintendent Anibal Soler.

Mr. Anibal Soler, Jr. is currently the Superintendent of Schools for the Batavia City School District. A small city school district located in Genesee County that serves approximately 2,200 students.

Before his appointment as Superintendent of Batavia City Schools, Anibal served as the Associate Superintendent of Strategic Alignment and Innovation for Buffalo Public Schools, the second-largest school district in New York State. In that role, his leadership focused on building and supporting Strong Community Schools, a turnaround strategy used to move the district’s lowest-performing schools to schools in “good-standing”. He also supervised District Athletics and Adult Education Division and lastly the district’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative. Prior to his role as an Associate Superintendent, Anibal was a Principal at North Park Academy in North Buffalo, where he helped establish North Buffalo’s first community school and helped transition the school from a 5-8th grade school to a new PreK to 8 Community School.

Previous to his role at North Park Academy, Anibal served 7 years as a high school Principal in the Rochester City School district where he led the district's largest comprehensive high school. Through his professional journey, he also has served in prior capacities as an Academy Director, Instructional Technology Teacher, and Art Teacher.

In 2014, Anibal was recognized by President Obama and The White House as a Latino Educator Champion of Change for his leadership and commitment to positive change for the Latino community.

Additionally, Anibal is a member of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) a national organization that advocates for Latinos and Latino educators. In 2011-12, Anibal was a Charter Member of the inaugural ALAS Superintendents Leadership Academy in 2011-12. Currently, he serves as the Communications Officer and Regional Board member for the New York State Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (NYSALAS) representing Western, NY.

This past October 2019, Mayor Byron Brown of the City of Buffalo recognized Anibal as a Champion of Education as part of Buffalo’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.

Finally, Anibal is a husband and proud father to four amazing kids. He enjoys sports, staying current with technology trends, and reading education-themed articles and books.

Most recently, in December 2019 Anibal was selected as the next Superintendent for Batavia City Schools in Batavia, NY.