As the city closed schools to slow the spread of the new coronavirus pandemic, they opened 93 school buildings to provide care for up to 57,000 children of essential city workers. But it has not been a case of "if you build it, they will come."

"Not just the enrollment numbers but the actual attendance has been very strikingly low," Mayor de Blasio said.

Now the city is closing down some of the so-called enrichment centers, after just 9,000 families have asked for a seat. Even if attendance rises as the city expands eligibility to the children of other essential workers like grocery and pharmacy employees, there still would not be a need for as many centers as first planned

"We can certainly -- 10,000 kids or 15,000 -- kids we could handle in a lot fewer centers, and that means we don't need as many staff to be there, that means that we're freeing up school nurses who can go and do other important healthcare work. So, this is a fluid situation, but fluid not just because of circumstance, but because of a strategic decision that we only want to have the number that we truly need," de Blasio said.

The city will close 23 of the sites, leaving up 70 schools with room for 31,000 students.

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.