50K More NYC Students Will Return To Classrooms This Year

NEW YORK CITY — More than 50,000 students will be returning to New York City's classrooms after a long year of remote learning, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

De Blasio said the students will begin in-person learning again on April 26.

"Everything will be ready for them, regardless of grade level,” he said Monday.

Parents last week had their last chance to opt their children back into in-person learning for this school year. But even after a blitz by de Blasio and school officials to boost confidence in schools' safety and consistency amid the coronavirus — including the end of the "two-case rule" — roughly 700,000 will remain fully remote.

De Blasio still framed the five-figure opt ins as a victory. He said in-person learning remains the best learning environment for students.

The breakdown of opt-ins, according to the Department of Education, is:

· Grades 3K - 5: 26,500
· Middle School: 10,000
· High School: 13,000
· District 75: 1,500

The city will return to full in-person learning next school year starting in September, he said.

The influx of students returning this year is still more than many big city school districts, he said. They won't impact existing in-person students' schedules, he said.

"Any child who is in the school right now their days will remain the same,” he said.