03.30.2020 | NY1 | Meanwhile, advocates argue the schools ought to be open to another group: homeless students. Those who live in shelters often lack internet access, which is necessary for remote learning. But wifi is available at the centers. 

“They’ve lost their housing and now they’ve lost their schools as well. We can’t open their schools today and provide them with that sense of stability, but we can provide them with a more appropriate space for learning,” Randi Levine, policy director at Advocates for Children, said. 

The city has so far not opened the spaces to those students. Advocates say not every homeless child will take a seat, but that there’s clearly plenty of room for those who need it.

“We want to make sure that families have that option and that families who need it are able to take one of those empty seats and have their child spend the day in a space where there is a teacher a social worker a nurse and enrichment activities as well as the internet and technology needed for remote learning,” Levine said. Li atik