Thousands of Port Chester students headed back to the classroom Tuesday for the first time in two months after becoming an orange zone.

The schools are opening their doors again now that they're meeting state-mandated COVID-19 testing requirements.

In early November, the village was put in a yellow zone and then changed to an orange zone as cases spiked.

Since then, the district has struggled to meet the state's 20% in-person student and staff testing requirement.

Over the last few weeks, the district has gone all out to get everyone voluntarily tested at both at the schools themselves and Open Door Family Medical Center.

The village has around 400 active cases, which is one of the highest numbers for a non-city in Westchester.

So, now around 500 students are back with masks and temperature checks. "We're excited! We're confident that we've done everything we need to do to get ourselves and the school ready so we're ready to roll today," says John F. Kennedy Elementary School Principal Judy Diaz.

Port Chester parents of a JFK third and fifth grader say their kids are excited to be back. "The district has done you know, I think, they're doing everything to keep the kids safe and the staff safe, so you know, we're comfortable sending them back," says Sanjay Salmon.

Blue tents have been constructed at the school where nurses will continue to test students and staff on a rolling basis. They must do about 700 a month as a district to stay open.