Backpacks were packed and school buses were rolling again Thursday as New York City public school students returned to classrooms for the first day of the new academic year.<\/p>\n
The first day also marked the launch of the city’s new 2-K program<\/a>, with around 2,000 2-year-olds starting free early childhood programs across the city.<\/p>\n The spots were offered to families across the five boroughs in August, after the city said it received around 5,700 applications, or nearly three applicants for every spot.<\/p>\n Universal childcare is a major initiative of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration. The 2-K program is set to expand to 12,000 seats next year, and the mayor previously said every family who wants a seat will get one by the time his first term ends.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile this morning has brought a new kind of stress to thousands of young families across the city, it is the stress of excitement and new beginnings, not the stress of wondering whether they can afford to be here at all,\u201d Mamdani said at a press conference.<\/p>\n Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has partnered with the city on the program, said the first day represents an important step toward expanding access to childcare.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an extraordinary day,\u201d she said. \u201cYou cannot underestimate what this day means to thousands of New York City parents who cannot believe this gift they’ve been given.\u201d<\/p>\n Students are also returning under new restrictions on artificial intelligence and screen use.<\/p>\n For the 2026-27 school year, the city has imposed a one-year moratorium on generative AI for students in 2-K through eighth grade<\/a>.<\/p>\n Students will also see screen time restrictions.<\/p>\n Students in second grade and under will see restricted one-on-one screen time. The city is also recommending screen time caps of 30 minutes per day for third through fifth grade students and 45 minutes for sixth through eighth grade students.<\/p>\n This is the second school year in which students will\u00a0not be permitted to use cellphones\u00a0<\/a>from the first to the last bell of the school day. Schools determine how devices are collected and stored.<\/p>\n