Harlem Students Continue Opting Out Of In-Person Classes

HARLEM, NY — The number of Harlem public school students opting out of the city's in-person learning plan continues to grow, rising above 40 percent and approaching 50 percent in parts of the neighborhood.

According to the latest data released Monday by the Department of Education, 41 percent of students in District 5, which covers most of Central Harlem and parts of East and West Harlem, have chosen to start the year with distance learning when schools reopen. That amounts to about 4,090 of the district's roughly 9,975 students who will start the year fully remotely.

The numbers are higher in neighboring District 4, covering East Harlem: 49 percent of students and families there have opted out, or about 5,807 students out of 11,852 in the district.

The city is allowing families to opt out at any time from its reopening plan, which calls for a mix of in-person and remote learning. The latest numbers, which show families' plans as of Friday, show that the number of Harlem families opting out jumped by eight percentage points in both District 4 and District 5 since the previous week.

That increase coincides with Mayor Bill de Blasio's abrupt announcement last week that the start of in-person classes would be pushed back for most students. Originally set for Sept. 21, staffing shortages forced the city to switch to a phased reopening that will last through the beginning of October.

Citywide, about 46 percent of New York's one million students are requesting remote learning, according to the city data — up from 39 percent last week. City officials have said they expect the numbers to change as more families opt in or out of remote learning throughout the year.