WESTMORELAND, NY - Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, is recommending students in the county in grades k through 8 be in class, in hybrid form.

He points out that data shows the younger students aren't, for the most part, catching and spreading the virus.

Despite the county executive's recommendation, the Westmoreland school district has gone fully remote.

At least for now.

Westmoreland Superintendent Rocco Migliori says it's not because of the rise in covid numbers. They simply don't have enough staff available.

At Tuesday’s board of education meeting he pointed out that before Thanksgiving, they had 8 bus drivers in quarantine and had no way to get all the students to the school.

"There's a staffing issue. We have a number of teachers under quarantine or they are home with quarantined family members. It's much more about trying to staff the schools than it is about rising covid numbers. People need to be here. We firmly believe that. I think teachers and students believe that, but it takes adults to run a school. There is transmission from adult to adult, we have to be aware of that, but we can't operate the school without the adults."

Migliori says the district plans to return to their previous learning model by January 11th.