How The Upper West Side's Private Schools Are Reopening This Fall

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Amid a citywide debate over how and whether New York's public schools should reopen in the fall, the Upper West Side's private schools are laying out their plans to reopen their doors to students in September

Elite private schools like Bank Street School for Children and Trinity have rolled out detailed reopening plans that include daily temperature checks for students before entering the building. Other schools like The School at Columbia University are starting this fall virtually.

Here are the reopening plans for a collection of Upper West Side private schools:

The Bank Street School For Children has developed a comprehensive plan to reopen in person this fall. The school located on West 112th Street will implement daily temperature tests every morning and only allow students to enter the building if they are symptom-free. Additionally, Bank Street has made infrastructure investments to the HVAC system over the summer to help air ventilation. The school will also mandate masks at all times for children in Kindergarten and above. You can read more about the school's reopening plan on Bank Street's website.

The Calhoun School will start the school year remotely and reopen for all students in-person on Oct. 7 using a hybrid learning model. However, families can choose between in-person and remote instruction. The Upper West Side school will begin the year by phasing in grades and cohorts on campus for in-person learning, to limit the number of students reentering the building at once. You can read more about Calhoun's reopening plan on its website.

Collegiate School at 301 Freedom Place on the Upper West Side is still planning for three scenarios for the start of the 2020-21 school year: A phased-in full return to the school for in-person classes, a hybrid model in which students K-6 are in-person full time and those in grades 7-12 alternate between in-person and online, and a fully online model. If students return to school, they will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test and parents must complete a daily health check as the "ticket" for a child to enter the building. You can read on Collegiate's website about steps the school has taken to best ensure students will stay healthy within the building.

The Dwight School at 291 Central Park West is welcoming all students back for in-person learning this fall. Dwight will allow students back in a staggered fashion starting on Aug. 24. All faculty, staff, and students in grades K-12 will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result within seven days before their day back on campus. Dwight will also offer a variety of virtual learning options for students who cannot be in New York City for whatever reason. You can read more about Dwight's reopening plan on its website.

The School At Columbia University will begin the 2020-21 academic year on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with its remote Distance Learning Program for all students in grades K-8. However, the school will continue to review the situation and hopes to shift to a hybrid model of both in-person and online instruction when it can. The School At Columbia University is located at 556 West 110th Street on the Upper West Side. You can read more about the school's Distance Learning Program on their website.

Trinity School is planning to reopen for in-person learning this fall. Trinity will return to in-person learning four days a week at the beginning of the year, and hold virtual Wednesdays. The prestigious private school on 131 West 91st Street is installing a variety of safety precautions to help keep students safe in the upcoming semester. The safety precautions will include a mandated mask policy for all people in the building, a daily questionnaire to be filled out by the parents of students, and a temperature screening before entering the building. You can read more about Trinity's reopening plan on its website.

Patch reporter Nick Garber contributed to this report.