Students in New Rochelle got up early this morning, turned on their computers, and began orientation ahead of classes on Monday.

For at least September, students will learn virtually after district leaders felt opening classrooms is too unsafe, even for the hybrid model. "This year I'm definitely more confident than what it was going to be like in the spring because in the spring it took us all by surprise. I don't think any of us expected really to be out of school for this long," says junior Michael Cohen.

With around 10,000 students, the district was the first to close due to the pandemic in March as the city was the epicenter of the state's outbreak. 

Part of the virtual reopening plan includes making sure every student in the district has a laptop and a Wi-Fi hotspot to properly learn online.
The district is also providing grab-and-go meals for students who rely on school for meals.
Each school has temperature checks and sanitation stations throughout each building, masks are required, and social distancing will be enforced once students return to classes in-person.

The district will monitor the pandemic over the next month and determine if it's ready to bring students back using its hybrid model starting in October.

The district plans to bring its students back in waves with the youngest students coming in first then the older students.
If the schedule stays the same, the earliest high schoolers will be back in the building is November.