It’s Time to Cram on New York City’s School Reopening Plan

NEW YORK, NY — Parents and teachers, it’s time to cram on New York City’s school reopening plan.

The city’s Department of Education dropped the 109-page plan online Friday afternoon — a day that saw Gov. Andrew Cuomo officially give schools the green light to reopen, as well as a deadline for New York City parents to opt for all remote learning.

The plan was submitted to the state and, if approved, will form the framework for school amid a coronavirus world.

“Make no mistake: New York City students will still be learning 5 days a week,” wrote Chancellor Richard Carranza in the plan’s introduction. “A major difference is that we are preparing to deliver their education through a blended learning model. Blended learning means students will be taught on-site in school for part of the week, and will attend school remotely on the other days of the week.”

Beyond blended learning, the plan sets out details on social distancing and PPE requirements within schools.

Testing is “strongly recommended” for families and students, while staff must be tested at least seven days before school begins and once a month going forward. Positive cases must isolate for at least 10 days and can only return to school after receiving clearance from a health provider and not show symptoms for 24 hours without medication.

All students and teachers who had close contact with someone who tests positive must quarantine for 14 days, the plan states.

Two unconnected positive cases in a school will lead to a closure and 14-day quarantine, as city officials previously outlined.

The plan requires staff and families to conduct daily health screenings, including temperature checks. Those will be continued in the schools.

“Every morning, prior to entering the school, specific staff will perform random samplings of temperatures for both students and school-based staff using non-touch thermometers, in addition to the required at-home temperature checks,” the plan states.

The city’s threshold for keeping schools open is a 3 percent coronavirus positive rate. But the plan also outlines a fail-safe where “recurrent” cases could close schools citywide.

“For example, a decision to close schools would be made where there were recurrent, uncontrolled outbreaks of COVID-19 in schools, even if the overall case rates across New York City were to remain low,” the plan states.