NEW YORK — New York City high school students returned to classrooms on Monday for the first time since November.
About 55,000 students in grades 9-12 were expected to resume in-person learning.
Teens across the five boroughs have been learning remotely since Nov. 19, when a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations prompted the city to close all buildings and shift students to distance learning.
The Department of Education then gradually reopened buildings for in-person learning, starting with elementary school students in December and middle schoolers in February.
After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed guidance on social distancing in classrooms — from 6 feet down to 3 feet — Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Friday that the city would give parents another chance to opt into in-person learning this academic year.
Similar to the DOE’s phased reopening plan, the opt-in period will begin this week for 3-K, pre-kindergarten, elementary and District 75 schools, according to the mayor.
Details about opt-in periods for middle and high school students were expected to be announced in the coming days.
