Even delay isn’t good enough: pols

The Department of Education is flunking when it comes to school reopening plans, city elected officials said Thursday — as the city’s biggest network of charter schools said it would remain online-only through December

recently announced plan to delay to the start of public school classes “may not be enough time for families, teachers and other school staff to prepare for this unprecedented school year,” Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Brooklyn) said at a Thursday hearing of the Council’s Education Committee.

He was pushing for a Council resolution calling on the city to hold off on reopening schools until extra safety precautions are implemented, although the measure is symbolic.

Earlier this week, Mayor de Blasio and the United Federation of Teachers agreed to push back the start of in-person learning from Sept. 10 to Sept. 21 in a deal including random mandatory COVID tests at public schools.

Treyger, who chairs the Education Committee, and other pols said the measures may not be enough to ensure everyone’s safety.

He voiced concerns that not all students have laptops for virtual learning and questioned the city’s plan to ensure buildings are clean, among other issues.

“So many unanswered questions remain,” he fumed. “There are lives at stake here — lives of children and school staff and their families.”

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams seconded the councilman’s remarks and said he supports the resolution — which is non-binding, meaning it can’t be enforced.

The delay to the start of the school year “is not enough to guarantee that our students, teachers, school administrators will not be at risk of contracting the coronavirus,” he said.

Dozens of students, parents and educators testified during the more than sixhour-long hearing.