Schools in Ulster County can reopen for in-person learning and the county health department will help by instituting new safety measures, County Executive Pat Ryan announced Thursday afternoon.

The health department introduced new guidance for schools now that more than 95% of teachers and staff who requested to be vaccinated have received at least one dose, Ryan said.

Each school district will decide how and when to reopen, and parents will have the option to forego in-person instruction for remote learning.

“Safely reopening schools is critical for our parents, our students, our educators, and our economy,” Ryan said in a statement. “My top priority is to ensure the health and safety of our residents, and we are 100% committed to working with our school districts to ensure a safe reopening process.”

The county health department believes it’s possible to safely return to in-person learning by putting in place public health and safety measures, including masking, physical distancing, handwashing, testing and contact tracing, and the strict cleaning of facilities.

The county is working with schools to provide PPE. The installation of partitions and sneeze guards is under consideration.

“Factors of overall health, including mental health impacts, socialization, and additional resources for students with disabilities must be weighed against the risks of a possible increase in local in-school transmission,” County Commissioner of Health Dr. Carol Smith said.

All teachers and school staff members who requested the COVID-19 vaccine will be vaccinated with at least one dose by Saturday, and will have completed both doses by the end of spring break, county officials said.

“The decision by the county executive to prioritize the vaccination of all K-12 staff when vaccines first became available for this group in January has led to the reality that all K-12 staff who wanted the vaccine will be fully vaccinated no later than mid-April," County BOCES Superintendent Charles Khoury said.

School districts in the county adopted a hybrid model of learning during the fall and winter.