NYC schools are back open but attendance took a hit after the historic snowstorm
Classroom attendance took a hit Tuesday after New York City public schools opened in-person following a snow day for the historic blizzard.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the decision Monday afternoon, which drew sharp criticism from officials and teachers. Some 170,000 people signed a petition calling for remote learning Tuesday.
Are schools open today in NYC?
Schools are open Wednesday, and 63% of students citywide returned to school Tuesday, according to the city's schools chancellor, Kamar Samuels.
The mayor and chancellor said about 12,000 teachers called out.
A normal attendance rate from the last school year was about 89%.
A spokesperson defended the decision to reopen schools, saying they are "critical to the stability, health, and wellness of nearly 900,000 young New Yorkers."
The official said meal service, mental health support, child care and education are important resources schools provide.
Teachers union supports those who called out
United Federation of Teachers president Michael Mulgrew said he supported teachers who didn't go into work Tuesday.
"This is the decision about us and our families. If we feel it is not in the best interest of my family, then I don't go in. And that's a decision everybody has to make, and don't worry from that point, because the union will make sure that you are protected and no discipline will come to you because of that," Mulgrew said.
He said he was expecting low attendance and said there needs to be a plan for schools to go remote in the future.
Kids on Staten Island struggle to get to school
Staten Island residents are still digging out of the snow. Several inches of snow and ice were still on the roads Wednesday morning, and cars were buried under the heavy snow.
On Van Cortlandt Avenue Tuesday night, neighbors waited for plows that never came. They ultimately deployed their own snow blowers and shovels to clear the roads.
Residents said in past storms, sanitation trucks would make the rounds every few hours, but this time nobody came.
"We almost tripped, like, five times. It's just too much," parent Eric Vivianni said.
"We could've gone remote. Why not? We have the system ready to go," a paraprofessional said.
