New Rochelle parents, teachers union call for all district schools to close amid coronavirus

Not all schools in New Rochelle are closed, but some parents think they should be.

News 12 Staff

Mar 11, 2020, 6:50 PM

Updated 1,674 days ago

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Not all schools in New Rochelle are closed, but some parents think they should be.
Davis Elementary, which is outside of the containment zone, was open on Wednesday.
Parents say if the goal is to contain coronavirus, they should close.  Leaders of New Rochelle teacher’s union FUSE agree.
News 12 spoke with the president of FUSE, and he calls the decision to only close schools within the containment zone baffling and disappointing.
He says there are several reasons for this, including that there are a lot of students in the district that don't go to their assigned schools, there are magnet schools in the district, so students can apply to go to another school and some have siblings in different schools that may be open or closed.
The president also said that it is a hardship for many working parents and teachers in the district who may have young children in the containment zone, but work at a school that is open.
Two parents told News 12 they are keeping their kids home because they feel the district has failed in responding to coronavirus concerns.
"I think closing only three schools is a misstep by the superintendent. I don’t quite understand the medical science behind it. It is as if the coronavirus is only going to live in the containment circle and not come into other parts of the city,” says Martin Daly, president of New Rochelle FUSE.
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