Governor announces school buildings won’t reopen this school year
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today that school buildings won’t reopen this school year. Distance learning will continue and schools will continue to provide meals to students.
The governor said it isn’t feasible to have safety plans in place at the 700 school districts around the state that would keep students, staff and teachers safe from Covid-19.
“There will be no opening of any school in New York State for the remainder of the academic year,” Cuomo said.
The governor said the state will decide in late May about summer school.
“We’re going to err on the side of caution for the rest of the school year,” the governor said.
Schools were first closed on March 16, and the governor has been extending that closure every two weeks, until today.
He announced the school buildings would stay off limits to students through the end of the school year in late June.
Colleges and universities also will have their facilities closed to students the rest of this academic year.
Cuomo said school districts and colleges need to develop plans with social distancing and student safety for the fall. That might include having fewer students in a classroom.
