Students in Fairport, Greece districts won’t return to classrooms full-time 

The Fairport Central School District said it will be “infeasible” to return to regular in-person classes this fall, and the district is now weighing options for virtual learning.

Superintendent Brett Provenzano said the district’s schools lack the space necessary to meet New York state’s physical distancing requirements to decrease the chances of novel coronavirus transmission.

In a letter notifying parents about the district’s plans, Provenzano said the district would come up short on space even if schools used gyms and cafeterias as classrooms.

Provenzano said the district is considering two options: a fully-online virtual instruction plan, or a hybrid approach that brings some students to school on some days and keeps them home on others.

The Greece Central School District, the largest suburban district in the Rochester area, told parents last week that it would not be bringing students back to the classroom full-time. Like the Fairport district, Greece schools superintendent Kathy Graupman said the district would not have enough space to maintain distance between students.



The state education department requires school districts to submit reopening plans by the end of the month. Provenzano said the Fairport school district will consult with parents to decide whether to be fully virtual or adopt a hybrid method of instruction for the upcoming school year.

Brett Dahlberg is a health reporter for WXXI News, a media partner of CITY. He can be reached at [email protected].