Cuomo says New York schools will stay closed for rest of academic year

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Friday that New York state public schools would not resume in-person teaching for the remainder of the school year as the state continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

“Given the current situation, K-12 schools and college facilities will remain closed for the rest of the academic year and will continue to provide distance learning,” Cuomo tweeted during his press briefing. “This is the best course of action to keep students, educators and staff safe.”

#BREAKING: Given the current situation, K-12 schools and college facilities will remain closed for the rest of the academic year and will continue to provide distance learning.

This is the best course of action to keep students, educators and staff safe.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) May 1, 2020

Cuomo said that virtual learning, meal assistance and child care for essential workers would continue. As for summer school, the governor said that he make a decision on whether it would be in-person by the end of May.

While he didn’t provide a timeline for the state’s education system reopening in the fall or later, he did say that schools, including colleges, should begin forming plans on how they expect to reopen their doors in a safe way.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) earlier in the week announced that public schools in the city will drop traditional grading for most of their K-12 students. The mayor also said that the city would hold a virtual graduation celebration for its high school seniors.

The Empire State joins a growing list of states that have canceled in-person classes for the remainder of the academic year, opting to continue virtual learning.