You are reading

Schools to Reopen in September, Mayor Says

PS 11 in Woodside (QueensPost)

July 2, 2020 By Allie Griffin

New York City public schools will reopen for the new school year in September, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today.

City schools have been closed since March and instruction was moved online given the coronavirus pandemic.

School buildings will reopen for in-person classes on the first day of school.

“We’re full steam ahead for September,” de Blasio said. “The goal, of course, [is] to have the maximum number of kids in our schools as we begin school.”

Each school building will have a maximum capacity of students based on social distancing guidelines.

Any room that can be converted into a classroom to accommodate social distancing will be, de Blasio said. Therefore, many schools will be able to host their full student bodies, he said.

Schools that have smaller capacities will likely implement staggered start times for students when the buildings reopen, de Blasio added.

Workers will deep clean classrooms each day. Everyone — students, teachers, administrators and other employees — will be required to wear a face covering. There will also be hand washing stations and hand sanitizer throughout school buildings.

The Department of Education is working with teachers, school administrators and unions to come up with the concrete details of the reopening plan, which will be released in the coming weeks, the mayor said.

“We are doing the work right now to make the new school year successful,” de Blasio said.

The news is welcome to parents who have struggled to work from home, while ensuring their children engage in virtual classes.

About 75 percent of parents want their kids to return to school in September, according to a Department of Education survey of 450,000 parents, de Blasio said.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Hall of Famer Lou Carnesecca, legendary St. John’s basketball coach, dies at 99

The St. John’s University community will gather to mourn legendary basketball coach Lou Carnesecca on the Hillcrest campus he loved with all of his heart Friday morning for his Funeral Mass at St. Thomas More Church, where he will be remembered not just for building a dynamic program, but for the way he did it. The beloved coach died peacefully surrounded by family and friends on Saturday, Nov. 30, at age 99 and just five weeks shy of his 100th birthday.

“Throughout his long life, Coach Carnesecca represented St. John’s with savvy, humility, smarts, tenacity, wit, integrity and grace,” SJU President Rev. Brian Shanley said. “He was the public face of our University, and he embodied the values of our Catholic and Vincentian mission. We thank God for his legacy.”

Forest Hills homeowners group threatens legal action against NYPD amid ongoing Forest Hills Stadium concert dispute

Dec. 4, 2024 By Shane O’Brien

The operators of Forest Hills Stadium have accused the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation (FHGC), a neighboring homeowners association, of “sidestepping” the courts and trying to “bully” the NYPD. The accusation follows a letter from FHGC to the NYPD threatening legal action if police continue to issue permits for the stadium’s 2025 concert season.