NEW YORK (AP & WXXI News) Summer school in New York will be conducted remotely, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday, citing the risks of returning children to the classroom.
The governor said it's too early to make a decision about the fall semester. School buildings in New York have been closed since March.
``Schools obviously pose risks. They're places of gathering. They're on buses. They're in classrooms,'' Cuomo said at his daily briefing.
Cuomo also mentioned increasing awareness about a syndrome affecting children that is thought to be linked to COVID-19. Pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome affects blood vessels and organs and has symptoms including prolonged fever, abdominal pain and vomiting.
New York is investigating 157 cases of the syndrome, which has been reported in more than a dozen countries. Two young boys and an 18-year-old woman diagnosed with the syndrome have died in New York state.
Meal programs and child care for essential employees will continue during the summer session, Cuomo said.
The Rochester City School District had already been planning for the possibility of not being able to have in-classroom instruction this summer, so the announcement by Governor Cuomo on Thursday that remote learning will continue for now, did not come as a surprise.
That’s according to spokesman Carlos Garcia, who said that officials in the district realize they need to continue to improve their efforts involving remote learning.
“Clearly, any type of disruption in the learning process is a setback for many of our kids, so as a result, we want to make sure that we provide as many resources as possible,” Garcia said.
Garcia says that there will be an announcement in the near future related to the purchasing of more Chromebooks for students who need them at home.
