New York Schools Remain Closed for Remainder of Academic School Year

On May 1, Governor Andrew Cuomo confirms that schools will remain closed for the rest of the 2019-2020 academic school year and that distance learning will continue.

“We don’t think it’s possible” to reopen schools “in a way that would keep our children and students and educators safe,” Gov. Cuomo said during his regular COVID-19 press conference.

Governor’s decision comes two weeks after Mayor de Blasio’s announcement that the 1,800 public schools in New York City will reopen as early as September.

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Summer School and Reopening Plans

Although the instruction courses for the Spring semester are delivered online it is still unclear whether the summer classes will take the same form. Many of the regular summer programs have been canceled already, but there is still hope that Gov. Cuomo may allow some kind of part-time summer school offerings. His decision on the topic is expected by the end of May.

“The decisions on the education system are obviously critically important. We must protect our children, every parent, every citizen feels that we must protect our students, we must protect our educators,” Gov. Cuomo said.

Meanwhile, the most vulnerable students — including poor and homeless children and those with disabilities — already fell behind with their classes due to the lack of alternative educational resources, structured schooling systems, and many other crucial factors. The administration is already working on reopening plans and back-to-school safety measures.

“The plan has to have protocols in place that incorporate everything that we are now doing in society and everything that we learned,” he said.