Schools
In 2 Days, 25K NYC Students Opt Back Into In-Person Learning
Parents quickly leapt on an opt-in period open until April 7 that gave them a chance to send their children back to classrooms.
NEW YORK CITY — About 25,000 more students — and counting — will be back in New York City's public school classrooms this year, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
“It represents two days of a 14-day opt-in window,” he told WNYC's Brian Lehrer on Friday.
A new opt-in period for families to send kids back for in-person learning this spring began Wednesday and runs till April 7.
Find out what's happening in New York Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
De Blasio said as of Thursday that 25,000 students had signed up.
It remains to be seen if the new sign-ups take a significant bite out of roughly 700,000 students whose parents opted to keep them fully remote as schools reopened in September.
Find out what's happening in New York Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
School officials and de Blasio repeatedly stressed buildings were safe for children amid the coronavirus pandemic, but their reassurances didn't halt a steady exodus from classrooms in the fall.
But now with COVID-19 vaccinations reaching more New Yorkers and infections remaining relatively low, it appears at some parents view in-person learning as a viable option.
Parents can learn more about switching to in-person, blended learning here.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
