School Districts In Tri-State Area Trying To Create Plans To Get Kids Back In Classrooms As Federal Government Pushes To Reopen Schools This Fall
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- As President Donald Trump pushes for schools to reopen in the fall, local school districts have been trying to come up with plans to do it safely.
Districts still struggling to solidify plans are getting an earful from the community.
"They're pushing the kids at going back to school," one woman told CBS2's Jessica Layton. "A lot of these parents do not, and they already know, they've already expressed that they do not feel safe."
The school board in Elizabeth, New Jersey, has been taking the comfort pulse of parents by holding virtual meetings and sending out surveys.
"Are they going to be safe? Honestly, we're not sure," one man said during a virtual meeting.
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Trump is pushing for a full reopening everywhere, a point reiterated Thursday by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
"And when he says open, he means open in full, kids being able to attend each and every day at their school. The science should not stand in the way of this," she said.
McEnany later clarified on Twitter, writing, "I said: 'The science is very clear on this...the science is on our side here.'"
But science is also showing significant spikes of the coronavirus in some parts of the country.
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Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the infection rate has to be lower than 5% for schools in New York to reopen.
The tentative plan for New York City's 1.1 million kids is 2-3 days in the classroom per week.
The city says it's working to find locations and staffing for child care to lessen the burden on working parents.
"The families will get that child care, regardless of ability to pay," Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
RELATED STORY: De Blasio Says City's Childcare Program Will Serve 100,000 Students By September, Indoor Reopenings Could Be Delayed In Phase 4
Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza says anything can change before Sept. 10.
"It shifts on a weekly basis, sometimes a daily basis, based on the circumstances and what's happening," he said.
In New Jersey, it's expected remote learning will remain part of the experience. Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced funding is available to help districts close the so-called "digital divide."
"Not every student has a laptop or other device or a reliable connection to the internet from their home," he said.
Because like it or not, home could end up doubling as a classroom in some capacity again this fall.
