Coronavirus

Catholic Schools in Brooklyn and Queens Will Remain Open

(Photo: Erin DeGregorio)

The Tablet Staff

The Superintendent of Catholic Schools for Brooklyn and Queens has announced that all 69 schools and academies will remain open and continue to provide in-person learning, irrespective of any impending decision pertaining to the status of New York City public schools.

Catholic schools in the Brooklyn Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens have provided safe, five days a week in-person learning since beginning this school year, as scheduled, on September 9, the diocese said in a statement Nov. 15. The Superintendent has also requested the Department of Education’s Office of Non-Public Schools continue to provide services for Catholic school students, which they are entitled to, including school nurses, transportation, and food, if public schools are to close.

“Every member of our school community has truly dedicated themselves to keeping our schools as safe as possible in the wake of this Coronavirus pandemic, and the results prove these efforts have worked.  For more than eight weeks, we have been able to maintain in-person learning for our students, mostly five days a week, and we intend to keep doing so going forward this school year. We know how critical it is for the development of our students to keep our schools open. Our children want to be in the classroom and we want them to be there for as long as safely possible,” said Dr. Thomas Chadzutko, Superintendent of Catholic Schools  Office of Support Services.

Diocesan schools have successfully operated for more than two months due to the strict adherence to the important “Core Four” actions to prevent COVID-19 transmission, including maintaining physical distance, wearing a face covering, practicing healthy hand hygiene, and staying home if sick. The schools and academies of the Diocese of Brooklyn continue to work with New York State and City Department of Health officials on a regular basis to maintain the safety of all of our students, faculty, and staff.

For a listing and more information about Catholic Schools in Brooklyn and Queens, please visit catholicschoolsbq.org.