A day before in-person classes are set to start for some students, the Department of Education reported Monday that 48% of New York City public school families have opted for fully remote learning this fall.
Tuesday, students at k-5 and k-8 schools are scheduled to return to school buildings for in-person classes six months after buildings closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands have already returned to buildings however. About 90,000 pre-K, 3-K and District 75 students returned to schools on Sept. 21 and more are expects hundreds more when middle schools and high schools reopening for students on Oct. 1.
The city’s 1,600 public schools serve over 1 million students and out of that number 479,696 are enrolled for remote classes only for the remainder of the year, according to data released by the DOE on Sept. 28.
Every week since August, DOE officials have released breakdowns of remote learning requests and those that are enrolled in the city’s hybrid learning model where students will take classes both in school and remotely. Since last week, families for an additional 20,056 students have chosen to not send their children back into school buildings.
For many parents that jump is not surprising given the city’s handling of school reopenings six months after buildings were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Bill de Blasio has delayed the start of in-person classes twice, over staffers in 100 school buildings have already tested positive for the virus and on Sunday the city’s principal’s union voted “no confidence” in the mayor and asked to state to take over city schools for the remainder of the pandemic.
Every week the number of students opting out of hybrid learning and into remote increases and some expect that number to continue growing due to a lack of trust in the city. Roughly 90,000 pre-K, 3-K and district 75 students returned to school for in-person learning while students at middle schools and high schools will reopening for students on Oct. 1.
Out of those students enrolled in remote learning only this fall, 25% identify as Asian, 21% as Black, 39% as Hispanic, 11% as White and 3% as other, according to the DOE data.
Here is a breakdown of remote learning requests by district:
|
District |
% Remote Learning Requested |
Economic Need Index |
|
1 |
51% |
67% |
|
2 |
47% |
53% |
|
3 |
39% |
49% |
|
4 |
49% |
83% |
|
5 |
41% |
83% |
|
6 |
46% |
83% |
|
7 |
42% |
92% |
|
8 |
49% |
83% |
|
9 |
44% |
93% |
|
10 |
48% |
84% |
|
11 |
45% |
79% |
|
12 |
41% |
93% |
|
13 |
50% |
61% |
|
14 |
50% |
75% |
|
15 |
40% |
57% |
|
16 |
39% |
83% |
|
17 |
46% |
77% |
|
18 |
47% |
74% |
|
19 |
47% |
87% |
|
20 |
53% |
77% |
|
21 |
46% |
74% |
|
22 |
47% |
65% |
|
23 |
40% |
88% |
|
24 |
39% |
73% |
|
25 |
55% |
64% |
|
26 |
60% |
49% |
|
27 |
50% |
69% |
|
28 |
52% |
62% |
|
29 |
50% |
64% |
|
30 |
43% |
68% |
|
31 |
36% |
53% |
|
32 |
38% |
87% |
|
75 |
43% |
89% |
|
79 |
7% |
86% |
…
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