Chancellor Banks: 200 new safety agents to enter NYC schools Thursday, with hundreds more expected as year continues
NEW YORK -- For many, safety will be top of mind when New York City students head back to school on Thursday.
As CBS2's Elijah Westbrook reports, summer break is coming to an end for the more than 1 million public school students. Chancellor David Banks spoke with CBS2 about what the new year will look like when it comes to keeping everyone out of harm's way both inside and outside the classroom.
"In partnership with the NYPD, and we meet with them regularly, a newly graduated class of approximately 200 school safety agents will enter our schools on the first day of school," Banks said.
By the end of the school year, the chancellor says the city is expected to tack on as many as 750 new agents to the 3,100 who are placed in schools already.
Their roles will be both preventing and stopping any violent situation that may occur in the building. For the first time, the officers will work at early childhood centers.
In conjunction with the agents being brought onboard, a new push notification messaging system is taking effect Thursday that will alert families of an emergency and other important updates.
"Many of you may recall what happened in Sunset Park and when that incident happened, the schools that were located near the incident, were frantic. The parents of the children in those schools were frantic. And many of them had to wait to hear what was going on, on the news," Banks said.
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The chancellor said he wants to put families in a position where they don't have to rely on other outlets to know what's going on.
There's also an emotional component to the Department of Education's effort to keep students safe. It has been announced that more than 100 centrally staffed social workers will move to superintendents' offices to support students. Their work will help kids during and after the school day ends.
"This really takes a team effort. We call it the village and everyone has to come together to ensure our school communities are safe," Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said.
Banks said all doors will be equipped with locks and alarms, except for the front doors to school buildings. They will be monitored by safety agents.
Watch Elijah Westbrook's report
Students and parents are also gearing up.
In the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx, CBS2's Nick Caloway found families doing some last-minute back-to-school shopping.
Johnny Santiago spent the day getting his daughter ready.
"First year of middle school, so she's excited, she's nervous," he said.
As summer cycles into fall, the first-day butterflies are expected, but excitement is in the air.
"Mostly my favorite thing is computer science," seventh grader Lamar said.
"My favorite class? Art," eighth grader Luis said.
"She loves to read. She loves numbers. I'm just excited for her," grandparent Twangna Wilcher said.
In Mott Haven, Catholic Charities of New York partnered with the Yankees to give out backpacks and school supplies. That's where Caloway met Lamar, who is looking at the Long game.
"So I think people should go to school so they can get an education so they can go to, like, their dream job," he said.
The MTA is also welcoming students back to school, offering free student MetroCards for K-12, and the agency will deploy extra buses Thursday across all five boroughs.
When it comes to COVID, the city's Department of Education will no longer conduct random testing for students. Instead, test kits will be sent home for students, parents and teachers to use if they are exposed to the virus.
Students and staff who test positive or have symptoms must quarantine for five days and wear a mask on the sixth through tenth days when they return to school.