Work cut out

If trend lines continue and New York City manages to hold back a resurgence of the coronavirus, the city’s 1,700 public schools should be ready to reopen their doors less than four months from now. A return to in-person teaching and learning should be a high priority: It will help make up for time lost this spring, and getting kids out of the house will enable the city’s hobbled economy to start walking.

Aggressive planning must begin now, including to win over a cautious teacher’s union. After the belated closing of the system in mid-March, 30 teachers, 28 paraprofessionals and 12 other Education Department staffers lost their lives to COVID-19; don’t expect educators to come back unless strong prophylactic measures are in place.

What’s especially vexing about inviting back students who could be vectors of disease is that kids rarely show COVID symptoms. Rigorous screening would have to include regular diagnostic tests, with clearly articulated policy for what happens if a case is found in a class or building.

Before the bells ring again, the DOE and city must also bring into sharper focus a now-blurry picture on a new COVID-connected syndrome spotted in 100 kids statewide.

If Chancellor Richard Carranza wants to propose a staggered schedule to space kids out inside existing facilities, let’s hear it. It would be a remarkably heavy lift given student transportation, afterschool and staffing constraints.

To give kids any hope of returning to something close to normal in the fall, educrats must hunker down for their busiest summer ever.