Students in the nation's largest school district -- New York City -- are heading back to school with an updated protocol overhaul, added safety measures --- and without those coveted "snow days."
Thursday is opening day for New York City public schools for the 2022-23 academic calendar year. (Here's a calendar you can print.)
The start of the new school year comes mere weeks after New York City announced a COVID protocol overhaul for its public school system -- relaxing virus restrictions.
For the 2022-2023 school year, students will no longer undergo random PCR testing in school. Instead, they will only get take-home tests, a total of four per month.
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Daily health screens are also no longer required to enter buildings. Masks are encouraged, but only mandatory for children who’ve been exposed, who are returning to school after being infected with COVID, or who are showing symptoms at school.
Quarantine is also not necessary for children who’ve been exposed, but test negative.
The vaccination rules are staying the same for the upcoming school year: Not mandatory for children unless they want to participate in extra-curricular activities after school. Vaccination is mandatory for all employees and adult visitors entering school buildings.
Another key reminder: The "no snow day" concept that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic is here to stay. That means lots of snow might mean no in-person school, but it doesn't mean "no school."
Remote instruction now covers those days and while we can hardly predict when it might snow enough to close physical classrooms, knowing that now might better equip some parents to adjust on the fly should the time come.
See the full NYC school calendar for 2022-23 below. The calendar is available in multiple languages here.
Get information on DOE student and NYC schools accounts, COVID updates and more here.
Additionally, as the new school year kicks off, NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks said he wants kids to feel comfortable about coming back and to him you do that by having a commitment to keep them safe.
"I feel really good about what the school year will represent," Banks said, adding that to him it means keeping students and staff safe, both emotionally and physically.
Because of this, the city's Department of Education prepped and inspected every building this summer.
This year, only the front doors will be unlocked. The rest will be locked and have an alarm.
“We can't put our heads in sand, we have to be ready to provide a level of safety to all children," Banks said.
Thursday isn’t just the first day for 900,000 students
It will be a new start for 200 school safety agents. Additionally, all principals, assistant principals and other key staffers underwent active shooter training and threat training.
When it comes to emotional safety, the DOE will continue its commitment to having a counselor or mental health clinic in all 1,400 buildings.
