De Blasio and Cuomo bicker over school closure plan

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Saturday that New York City schools would remain closed for the rest of the academic year. Gov. Andrew Cuomo later argued that de Blasio cannot make that decision on his own. Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

By Victoria Merlino

New York City schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Saturday. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten the lives of New Yorkers, de Blasio said that keeping the schools closed until June would spare people from exposing themselves to the illness.. 

“Lord knows having to tell you that we cannot bring our schools back for the remainder of this school year is painful,” he said at a press conference. “But I can also tell you it's the right thing to do.

“It clearly will help us save lives because it will help us to guarantee that the strategies that have been working, the shelter in place, the social distancing, all the focused strategies that are finally beginning to bear fruit, they need the time to continue to be effective,” he added.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo objected to de Blasio’s decision later that day, saying that New York City would have to coordinate with the rest of the state’s schools and that he has the final authority on school closures. 

But City Hall spokesperson Freddi Goldstein compared Cuomo’s contrarian response to his delay in issuing a stay-at-home order last month. 

“The Governor's reaction to us keeping schools closed is reminiscent of how he reacted when the Mayor called for a shelter in place,” Goldstein tweeted. “We were right then and we're right now. Schools will remain closed, just like how we eventually — days later — moved to a shelter in place model.” 

De Blasio had “called and texted” Cuomo before announcing the decision, she said.

Following de Blasio’s decision, some Queens lawmakers — many of whom had pushed the city to close schools days earlier than the closure actually took effect — said it was the right call

“Remote learning for the rest of the academic year will keep our children, teachers, staff and administrators safe amid the COVID-19 epidemic,” said State Sen. John Liu said in a statement. Liu heads the Senate’s New York City Education Committee.

Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer blasted the bickering between de Blasio and Cuomo.

“The fact that there is any confusion as to whether NYC schools are closed for the remainder of the year is a disgrace,” Van Bramer tweeted. “Who gives a [expletive] who has the ultimate authority. Get together, make a decision in the best interest of kids/people - which is to close - & don’t confuse parents!”