You are reading

Schools to Reopen in September, Mayor Says

PS 11 in Woodside (QueensPost)

July 2, 2020 By Allie Griffin

New York City public schools will reopen for the new school year in September, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today.

City schools have been closed since March and instruction was moved online given the coronavirus pandemic.

School buildings will reopen for in-person classes on the first day of school.

“We’re full steam ahead for September,” de Blasio said. “The goal, of course, [is] to have the maximum number of kids in our schools as we begin school.”

Each school building will have a maximum capacity of students based on social distancing guidelines.

Any room that can be converted into a classroom to accommodate social distancing will be, de Blasio said. Therefore, many schools will be able to host their full student bodies, he said.

Schools that have smaller capacities will likely implement staggered start times for students when the buildings reopen, de Blasio added.

Workers will deep clean classrooms each day. Everyone — students, teachers, administrators and other employees — will be required to wear a face covering. There will also be hand washing stations and hand sanitizer throughout school buildings.

The Department of Education is working with teachers, school administrators and unions to come up with the concrete details of the reopening plan, which will be released in the coming weeks, the mayor said.

“We are doing the work right now to make the new school year successful,” de Blasio said.

The news is welcome to parents who have struggled to work from home, while ensuring their children engage in virtual classes.

About 75 percent of parents want their kids to return to school in September, according to a Department of Education survey of 450,000 parents, de Blasio said.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Fall fun in western Queens: Your guide to the best seasonal events

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

With beach days and summer BBQs behind us, the start of September rings in the start of magnificent Fall foliage, Halloween and more fun activities that come with the start of Autumn, including a list of Fall events in the area. From apple picking to seasonal ciders and more, there is tons to explore in the community. From Mystic Markets to scary movie meet-ups and more, here is a list of Fall events you do not want to miss.

MTA opens three new modernized elevators at the Queens Plaza subway station in Long Island City

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced the opening of three new modernized elevators at the Queens Plaza E/M/R subway station in Long Island City earlier this month as part of a larger accessibility and safety upgrades throughout the transit system.

The work included a full replacement of the cab and equipment within the cab, shaft and pit, along with two new elevator head houses located at street level. Crews also made modifications to the shaft and pit as needed to allow for new equipment. The elevator machine room and electrical and mechanical equipment received replacements and other modernization efforts for reliability.

Queens Together launches ‘Unofficial US Open Dining Guide’ encouraging fans to sample restaurants along the 7 line

Aug. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

The US Open returns to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Sunday, with more than 1 million attendees anticipated to take mass transit to the iconic annual tennis event. With hundreds of thousands of fans set to take the 7 out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, there is a world of delicious local eateries lying beneath the elevated train tracks should any fan wish to stop en-route to the US Open.