Correction Appended

In an effort to reduce the spread of H1N1 between university and K-12 students, Ithaca City School District Superintendent Dr. Judith Pastel has indefinitely barred all college students, including those from Cornell, from volunteering in district classrooms.

The suspension began just five days after the start of ICSD classes, and does not include college students who are affiliated with the schools through Federal Work-Study employment, scholarship service requirements, or fieldwork placements for course credit.

Pastel believes the suspension to be a necessary precaution in reducing the spread of H1N1 between college students and the students and faculty of district schools.

“The final decision was mine,” Pastel stated. “We have medically fragile children in the schools. We have [students with] pre-existing conditions. We have staff members that are pregnant. It’s all about trying to make decisions.”

Pastel stressed that the suspension is not targeted toward Cornell students. Rather, all volunteers from any institution of higher education are barred from Ithaca’s classrooms. While the ban has no current end in sight, Pastel hopes to announce her decision by the end of the month.

“I’m thinking of making a decision by the end of September with regard to what the status of illness is in the district,” Pastel explained.

The Public Service Center, an organization that supplies many Cornell volunteers to community organizations, including the Ithaca city public schools, is keeping its volunteers abreast of H1N1 updates and potentially finding alternate volunteer placements. Associate Director Renee Farkas is optimistic that the center can find placements for affected students.

“I don’t have any concerns about finding student volunteer placements,” Farkas stated. “We work with a lot of separate organizations.”


Ben Ortiz, coordinator of K-12 outreach at the PSC, discussed the impact of the volunteer suspension on the Raising Education Attainment Challenge program. The program, also known as REACH, supplies many Cornell tutors to Ithaca area schools.

“The whole program is affected because some of [our] teams have had to begin operating with less personnel than they normally would,” Ortiz said. “It does impact the whole program indirectly. I understand the concerns of the parents especially, [but] it’s something that has presented a significant challenge.”

Ortiz noted, however, that only about one-third of the REACH tutors are sent to ICSD schools. The other two-thirds work in other school districts, as well as at community centers, daycares and even youth prisons.

Access Denied: The Beverly J. Martin Elementary School as pictured yesterday.

Rachel De Leon ’10, a team leader at the REACH program, believes that the volunteer suspension is an appropriate response to the H1N1 pandemic.

“As important as academics are, health should always come first,” De Leon ’10 stated in an e-mail. “REACH volunteers should take care of themselves as much as local students. Even though students benefit greatly from the education opportunities we offer, at the end of the day it is meaningless if they are not doing well health-wise.”

Another program affected by the suspension is Delta Sigma Theta's school supply drive for the Beverly J. Martin Elementary School. The event was scheduled to take place this Thursday, but it has been canceled because Cornell volunteers are no longer allowed in the building.

Vice president of Delta Sigma Theta Karina Beras '10 believes that the ban will deprive many BJM students of needed supplies.

“I think it might be a little bit over-the-top to ban everyone from coming to the school, but at the same time I do understand their concern,” Beras said. “I think that the whole thing will be a disadvantage to the students. Not only are they already economically disadvantaged, the economy is also so bad.”

Beras still plans to hold the supply drive once the suspension lifts.

“We're still going to hold the drive. These students, because they're so economically disadvantaged, still won't have the supplies they need,” Beras said.

Theresa Lyczko, public information officer and director of health promotion with the Tompkins County Health Department, stated that the ICSD volunteer suspension did not stem from the Health Department.

“The moratorium was not recommended by the Health Department,” Lyczko stated. “We always have said that when someone is sick with influenza-like-illness … they should stay home and not volunteer or go to school or work. But if you’re healthy there is no reason that you shouldn’t carry on with your daily activities.”

Simeon Moss, deputy University spokesperson, expressed an understanding of the ICSD’s actions.

“We understand the school district’s concerns, and we trust that this issue involving our dedicated student volunteers will get back to normal shortly,” Moss stated in an e-mail.

This article incorrectly attributed information and quotes from Dr. Judith Pastel, superintendent of Ithaca City School District to Dr. Lesli Myers, assistant superintendent of student services of the ICSD. The Sun regrets this error.