Big charter school to stay remote

Success Academy, the city’s largest charter school network, will remain in remote learning for the rest of the school year, officials announced Thursday.

The 20,000-student network will also end this school year one month early in May and start the next school year in August — a month earlier than planned.

The hope is that COVID-19 rates will be lower in August than June which means a better chance of bringing back in-person learning, said Success Academy officials.

“Like everyone else, we desperately want to be back on campus, but we are prioritizing a consistent, productive learning experience by staying remote now,” said Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO of Success Academy.

By sticking with remote learning, Success officials are hoping to avoid the “disruption” of “increasing building closures and reopenings, often on short notice.”

Many Success schools share facilities with city public schools. The Department of Education temporarily shuts down school buildings when two or more COVID-19 cases are reported within seven days.

More than 300 city school buildings were temporarily closed as of Thursday.

The charter network will stop remote classes on May 28 this year, and start the next school year on Aug. 2.

“By opening early, we can take full advantage of the safer summer months to make up for what we believe will be some degree of learning loss, while also giving teachers and families a break,” Moskowitz said.