Decision Day Looming: Parents Must Let NYC Know By Friday If They Will Send Their Kids To Public Schools In Fall
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Across the country, nearly 100,000 new cases of coronavirus were reported in children over the last two weeks. That's up 40%.
The sharp increase comes as parents here at home are running out of time to decide whether to send their kids to school in person, CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas reported Thursday.
Luis Plaza's grandkids are just some of the New York City public school students who will choose to attend classes entirely online in the fall.
"Everybody is waiting for that miracle. I hope everyone is hoping that soon happens. For us, it's better to keep protecting them. We take care of everyone," Plaza said.
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Parents have to notify the school district by Friday.
A hybrid model is the other option. It will mix both in-person instruction with remote learning.
"I want my kids to have as much opportunity to be in person with their peers, with their friends, with their teachers, who they adore and they miss," parent Amanda Ritchie said.
But parents say they still have more questions than answers regarding safety.
Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez told CBS2 choosing in-person school attendance should depend on exactly where you live.
"It is the time now to get familiar with how widespread COVID is in your community. I think that's step one," said Brancho-Sanchez, a pediatrician at New York Presbyterian.
But the hardest-hit neighborhoods are also the ones where parents have the least flexibility and need their children in class.
"Start preparing your child so they're wearing the mask all day, so they're not touching everything around," Brancho-Sanchez said.
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On Thursday, concerned parents joined Comptroller Scott Stringer in asking the district to consider using outdoor spaces to increase safety.
It's one of many proposals politicians are providing as an alternative to Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan, that parents say does not provide enough reassurance.
"This is not an easy problem to fix and we recognize that. But all of the options should be on the table," parent Michael Meade said.
Options for the start of the school year that's just weeks away.
