Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City public schools will only offer in-person classes when school opens for the 2021 fall semester, reported the Wall Street Journal.
Blasio reportedly said on May 24 that COVID-19 transmission rates in schools have stayed low and that eight million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in New York City. He added that the DOE is planning to invite parents to visit schools throughout the summer so that they can see what reacclimating protocols are in place.
“I think the CDC will be changing those rules [three-feet social distancing guidelines] quite a bit between now and September,” Blasio told the press but added that most school buildings can still accommodate that guideline.
Meanwhile, guidance from the New York City Department of Education had previously stated in March that remote learning would likely be required in the 2021-2022 academic year.
“We will resume the rules that existed before the pandemic,” Blasio continued. “So there always were rules for providing accommodation for very particular and severe circumstances that existed before we ever heard of COVID-19. We’re going to resume the pre-COVID-19 rules.”
Over 500,000 New York City students, or roughly 61 percent, are currently enrolled in remote learning options. The city’s Department of Education stated there has been a 4 percent drop in enrollment as some students have left the district entirely.
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