Nearly A Third Of District 6 Students Opt For Virtual Learning

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Roughly a third of public school students in Washington Heights and Inwood won't walk through the doors of a classroom when they begin school again in September.

Just under 6,000 students in District 6 have chosen to instead attend all their classes virtually, according to the most recent information from the NYC Department of Education.

There are 19,939 students in the district, which includes the neighborhoods of Inwood, Washington Heights, and the upper section of Harlem.

District 6 students are choosing all-remote learning a slightly lower rate than most New York City children, the data shows.

Citywide, 33 percent of students have chosen to go fully remote, according to the Department of Education data released on Monday.

Additionally, families can opt into full-time learning at any point, and there will also be points throughout the fall semester where they can opt into the blended learning model.

The Department of Education also provided a breakdown by ethnicity for the students who have opted for all-virtual learning.

• Asian: 27 percent
• Black: 20 percent
• Hispanic: 37 percent
• White: 11 percent
• Other: 3 percent

Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled a "Back to School" pledge last week that promised all New York City schools will get supplied free face coverings, full-time nurses, and regular cleanings for the buildings.

Public schools in New York City are set to open on Sept. 10.

Patch reporter Maya Kaufman contributed to this report.