The wait is over, families: Governor Andrew Cuomo has given the green light for all schools across New York State to reopen this fall.
"Today is the deadline to look at the infection rates and make a determination," the governor said during a phone interview on Aug 7. "By our infection rates, all school districts can open everywhere in the state. Every region is below the threshold that we established."
Come the start of the 2020–2021 term, NYC schools are expected to follow through with Mayor Bill de Blasio's blended learning model, which will be a mix of both remote and in-person learning. (Complete remote learning is also an option for families, and applications are due today.)
However, there is still plenty to be done before the start of the new academic year. Governor Cuomo is calling for all schools to work alongside parents and teachers to address concerns. Districts will be required to submit plans on testing and contact tracing as well as remote learning. He is also requiring districts to set up three discussion sessions with parents (five discussion sessions for the larger districts) to answer questions.
In the event things change over the next several weeks, so will the plans.
"If theres a spike in the infection rate, if there’s a matter of concern in the infection rate, then we can revisit it," Governor Cuomo said. "But for planning purposes, they [schools in New York] can reopen."
Be sure to sign up for the NYC DOE's remaining virtual information sessions, which will be held on Aug 12 and 27.
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