Monday New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the public school system would not offer remote learning next school year. Rather, starting in September, New York City public schools will fully reopen for all students and all staff, Fox News reports.
- New York City has the largest public school system in the nation with almost 1 million students, according to The New York Times.
- This year, about 60% of New York City students attended school remotely, reports Fox News.
De Blasio has previously hinted that the option of remote learning would continue into the next school year. However, according to The New York Times, plummeting virus rates in NYC and expanded vaccination eligibility for children as young as 12 years old have encouraged de Blasio to fully reopen schools for in-person learning.
- “It’s time for everyone to come back. It’s time for us all to be together. It’s time to do things the way they were meant to be done, all the kids in the classroom together,” de Blasio said Monday via Fox News.
- The United Federation of Teachers has supported reopening plans, reports The New York Times.
NYC public school reopening plans
With schools fully reopening this fall, New York City school Chancellor Meisha Porter also announced additional safety measures. According to Fox News and The New York Times, these measures include:
- Schools will require masks, reports Fox News.
- Schools will continue daily health screenings and on-site COVID-19 testing, per Fox News.
- Elementary schools will socially distance students at least 3 feet, per The New York Times.
However, officials have acknowledged that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines could change by fall, reports The New York Times.
According to The New York Post, schools will open in June to allow parents to come, see the arrangements and ask questions. De Blasio also said they will look into the possibility of administering vaccinations in schools.
Are schools fully reopening?
New York is one of the first big cities in the U.S. to remove the option of remote learning for the upcoming school year, reports The New York Times. Other states — including New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts — have made similar announcements about no longer offering remote classes.
- Estimates from The New York Times say about 3 million students across the U.S. stopped attending classes, in-person or remotely, since the pandemic began.