The New York City school system will welcome students to in-person classes in phases instead of reopening for all grades Monday, the city announced Thursday, marking the second time school reopenings have been delayed.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday that elementary students will return to schools in person on Sept. 29, followed by middle school and high school students returning on Oct. 1. De Blasio said he spoke with the head of the principals and teachers union for hours Wednesday and that they told him schools are not ready to reopen.
“They had real concerns about specific things that had to be done to make sure our schools could effectively start,” de Blasio said.
The New York City Department of Education oversees the largest school system in the United States, with over 1 million students in more than 1,800 schools. Thursday’s delay marks the second time the district delayed the start of in-person classes, originally set to begin on Sept. 10. De Blasio added that the education department has also hired 2,500 additional teachers.
Students who choose to attend classes in person will go to school a few days a week while learning remotely on other days. De Blasio said in July that he has also been working with teachers to devise plans for improving sanitization procedures and maintaining social distancing.
New York City, one of the first coronavirus epicenters in the U.S., has consistently maintained a positive test rate below 3% since the start of June, a threshold the World Health Organization said is safe enough to reopen schools.
