Afterschool Programs Restart In NYC

NEW YORK CITY — First, kids returned to New York City's classrooms en masse. Now, they can stay at their schools and community centers even longer in the day.

The city's afterschool programs will restart across more than 1,000 locations, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.

"The goal is to reach 150,000 kids this school year with those extended hours," he said.

Public schools reopened Sept. 13 with no remote option — a coronavirus pandemic first for the nation's largest school district.

De Blasio and school officials have double downed on in-person learning as a way to help students catch up from months, or more, away from classrooms.

But many parents and teachers — particularly United Federation of Teachers union members — are wary of the city's safety and coronavirus testing protocols.

Attendance district-wide stood at 83 percent on Sept. 17, according to Department of Education data. Some schools, however, had attendance as low as about 23 percent, the data shows.

De Blasio said the city's "safe, smart" measures to bring students back will extend to afterschool programs for elementary, middle and high school students.

"Our afterschool programs are amazing because they involve academic enrichment in addition to arts, culture, recreation, you name it," he said.

Parents and students who want to find out more can click here or call 800-246-4646.