To support remote learning and help students stay connected during emergencies, the DOE is lending internet-enabled iPads to public school students in New York City.

If your student needs a device or internet connection for remote or blended learning, contact your school who will help match your student’s needs to a device and/or internet connectivity. For contact information, visit the School Finder page.

If your school does not have devices on hand and the student does not have a device or internet connectivity at home, the staff can fill out a request for a centrally-loaned iPad or hotspot to be delivered to the school for you to pick up. 

Priority will be given to students most in need. All iPads are granted on a temporary basis and will later need to be returned. There is a limit of one iPad per student. It may take a few weeks to process your request and deliver the iPad.

Request an iPad for an NYC student.

Get answers to some remote learning device (iPad) questions.

Returning a DOE iPad

If the student is returning to a DOE school, DOE Pre-K or 3-K program, or are participating in a DOE program in a non-public or charter school (either for blended or remote learning), you do not need to return the iPad to DOE at this time. 

If the student is not returning to a DOE school or program, the borrowed iPad must be returned to DOE. You can bring the iPad back to the last DOE school the student attended. Make sure to give it to the Principal, Assistant Principal, Parent Coordinator, School Point of Contact for Technology (SPOC) or other person at the school who is in charge of technology. 

Learn more about returning an iPad.

Get Help

You can get help with DOE iPads, including but not limited to:

• Filling out the iPad request form
• Setting up the device
• Accessing applications
• Technical issues
• Internet connection issues
• iPad delivery status
• Connectivity issues in temporary housing

Online

Fill out the Technical Support for Families form.

By Phone

In order for your child to return to in-person learning, you must submit the consent form for in-school COVID-19 testing.

Mandatory in-school testing will happen weekly for a random selection of staff and students from grades 1-12 in all reopened school buildings. The number of people to be tested will depend on the size of the school, but will consist of 20% of a school’s population each month, students and staff included.

Exemptions will be granted only in certain limited cases.

If you have already submitted consent, you are encouraged to do so again to ensure your student has the latest form on file.

There are two ways to submit the form:

• You can complete the consent form on your child's NYC Schools Account.
• Print and sign the form and bring it to your child’s school on the first day they are back in the school building. Printable consent forms are available in ten languages. Download consent form.

If your child is tested, your school will let you know they were tested and when and how you will receive the results, which are usually available within 48-72 hours.

Learn more about school-based COVID-19 testing.

All schools are required to follow health and safety protocols to prevent, identify, and address the spread of COVID-19.

Schools will:

• Promote healthy behaviors such as physical distancing, wearing face coverings, handwashing, and using sanitizer
• Clean the school throughout the day and disinfect every night
• Maintain an isolation room for students with symptoms with a dedicated staff member or health professional
• Communicate clearly with families and the school community
• Have a nurse in every public school building
• Have weekly COVID-19 testing for a random selection of staff and students

You can learn more online about how schools plan to reopen safely, including:

• Thresholds for opening and closing schools
• Building preparations and safety measures
• Testing and tracing protocols if someone is feeling sick or has COVID-19
• Closure and quarantine protocols when there is one or more COVID-19 cases in a school 

Get COVID-19 health and safety information for public schools.

To report a school not following COVID-19 health and safety rules, visit the School Reopening Complaint page.

Daily Health Screenings

Students must complete a health screening (including temperature checks) before they enter school buildings. 

You are encouraged to use the DOE Online Health Screening Tool each day that your child is scheduled to attend in-person learning. When you do the screening at home, you or your child just need to provide the results of the screening either by showing the email on a smartphone or a printout of the results before entering the school building. 

If you or your child is not able to pre-screen using the online tool, you may use the Paper Health Screening Questionnaire and have your child bring the completed form to school and show it upon entry. Your school will provide you with printed copies so you can complete the questionnaire at home.

If you or your child forgets or is unable to pre-screen, someone will be available at your school's entrance to assist your child in completing the form and checking your child’s temperature.

Students will not be able to attend in-person classes if they have:

• Experienced any symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 10 days, including:
  • Fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater
  • A new cough
  • A new loss of taste or smell
  • Shortness of breath 
• Received a positive result from a COVID-19 test that tested saliva or used a nose or throat swab (not a blood test) in the past 10 days;
• Been in close contact (within 6 feet for at least 10 minutes) with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 or who has or had symptoms of COVID-19 in the past 14 days; or
• Traveled internationally or from a state with widespread community transmission of COVID-19 per the New York State Travel Advisory in the past 14 days.

 As always, please keep your child home if they are sick.

Free Meals for Students and Families

Beginning June 28, 2021, any New Yorker can pick up free breakfast and lunch at meal hubs across the City. Meal hubs will be open Monday to Friday between 9 AM and 1 PM. To learn more, visit the Summer Meals for All page.

If your child attends a charter, private, or parochial (religious) school, you should contact it directly for any questions related to COVID-19 preparation and handling, school reopening and closures, and remote learning.

iPads for Non-Public School Students

To support remote learning and help students stay connected during emergencies, the Department of Education (DOE) is lending internet-enabled iPads to:

• Private, charter, and parochial school students with disabilities
• Charter school students who are living in temporary housing (such as a shelter or living with someone else temporarily)
• Charter school students in foster care

To request an iPad for an NYC student in your family, please fill out the request form. All iPads are granted on a temporary basis and will later need to be returned. There is a limit of one iPad per student.

Request an iPad for an NYC student.

Get answers to some remote learning device (iPad) questions.

If you need help with filling out the iPad request form, you can get assistance by phone.

Parking is allowed in school zones when school is in recess. However, you should be aware that specific schools may be open on holidays and during summer vacations. Parking restrictions would remain in effect.

Parking restrictions remain in effect while schools are doing remote learning.

Also, when schools are open for summer sessions, teacher meetings, or similar activities, the parking regulations apply on such days, even if students aren't attending.

You should contact the specific school to verify that it's in recess.