After a winter storm heaped snow on the five boroughs, some New Yorkers heading back to school Tuesday morning had a decision to make: opt to navigate the sidewalks, or walk in the street instead?
Many Staten Island families chose the second option during drop-off at P.S. 21 in Elm Park.
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A powerful winter storm dumped nearly two feet of snow on parts of the five boroughs overnight Sunday into Monday, marking the most the city has seen since 2016
Staten Island neighborhoods were among some of the hardest hit areas in the city. Residents reported unofficial snow totals as high as 27 inches, with snow drifts in some areas even higher
Similar situations in other communities across the five boroughs fueled some criticism of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision to reopen schools less than 24 hours after snow stopped falling
Parents say the school’s custodial staff did a good job clearing access to the building, but its surroundings were challenging to navigate.
“It’s rough, because a lot of people didn’t shovel their snow. But, you know, it is what it is,” parent Tennyson Hutchinson told NY1.
“There was a bunch of snow on the sidewalk, and it was hard to get to school,” student Matthew Hutchinson added.
Staten Island neighborhoods were among some of the hardest hit areas in the city. Residents reported unofficial snow totals as high as 27 inches, with snow drifts in some areas even higher.
Similar situations in other communities across the five boroughs fueled some criticism of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision to reopen schools less than 24 hours after snow stopped falling.
“I think they should have been closed,” parent Desiree Rescigno said. “It’s crazy out here.”
“A lot of the streets are not even plowed yet,” Rescigno added.
After the mayor announced schools would be open Tuesday, a petition was started online calling on the city to change course and make Tuesday a remote instructional day.
The petition, which received nearly 170,000 signatures, cited concerns about safety getting to and from buildings and potentially treacherous travel for teachers and families returning to the city following winter break.
Some Staten Island elected officials supported the petition.
“The notion that they should open public schools tomorrow — I think is really irresponsible,” Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said Monday. “You’ve seen some of these streets in Staten Island — some, you can’t even drive down the streets.”
By New York state law, city schools need to have 180 days of instructional learning. The state did issue an exemption to the city to allow for Monday’s closure.
NY1 is still waiting on Tuesday’s attendance numbers from the city Department of Education.