Snowstorm Disrupts Staten Island Schools
On Tuesday, about 70% of students on Staten Island missed school, learning very little the day after New York City experienced its largest snowstorm ever.
Staten Island was hit hardest among the boroughs, with some areas receiving nearly 30 inches of snow. This led to a staggering absenteeism rate of 69.8% in public schools, significantly higher than the citywide average of 36.8% for the same day, according to the Department of Education.
Mayor Zoran Mamdani faced backlash for choosing to reopen schools instead of moving to remote learning. Critics argue this decision overlooked the unique challenges Staten Island faces, such as limited rail services and the difficulties of snow removal on its narrow, hilly roads.
“This is going to go down as one of the worst decisions in history,” proclaimed City Councilman Frank Morano (R-Staten Island).
The consequences were severe, with reports indicating:
- Large snow banks obstructing crosswalks and roads, including many school bus parking lots.
- Between 80 to 85 percent of students absent from several schools.
- Schools like the David Marquis School of the Arts struggled to safely assist students in wheelchairs due to unplowed snow.
- At Myra S. Burns School (Middle School 24), students had to stay in the cafeteria for two hours due to a power outage.
Morano expressed confusion over the mayor’s rationale, saying, “I think it was the perfect day for distance learning. Our community’s situation is getting dire, especially given our dependence on cars.”
Morano, along with Borough President Vito Fosella, pointed out that the mayor’s decision reflects a “one-size-fits-all approach” that doesn’t account for Staten Island’s unique needs. Fosella noted the decision raised significant concerns, particularly regarding the safety of driving on icy roads for teachers and parents residing in the borough.
“Public transportation isn’t an option for many of us,” he said.
Morano is now drafting a bill to give boroughs more independence to prevent future mishaps like this one, intending to bring his proposal before the City Charter Revision Commission later this year. “Staten Island shouldn’t have to follow the same rules as Manhattan or the Bronx,” he added. “If citizens see their leaders have real control over policies, maybe fewer of them would call for secession.”
On the same day, the absence rate in Manhattan was 29.8%, followed by Queens at 34.2%, Brooklyn at 35.1%, and the Bronx at 36.4%. These figures also surpassed normal levels, where typically only about 11% of students from K to 12 are absent on an average school day.
While the DOE declined to provide specific breakdowns of teacher attendance and student absences by district, Mamdani did mention that approximately 12,000 teachers, or 15% of the city’s total, had protested on that Tuesday, necessitating the hiring of 5,000 substitutes.
