It wasn't the return Mayor de Blasio originally promised, but for the first time since March, some students had their first day of in-person school, making New York the first big city in America to do so—even if it comes with a big asterisk.

What You Need To Know

  • Students in 3-K, Pre-K and in District 75 schools went back to class Monday

  • It's phase one of a three-phased approach to a reopening that was announced last week

  • Initially, the mayor planned for all students to start on September 10, and then today, before scaling it back to about 90,000 children

"This week, 90,000 kids will go back into classrooms between 3K, pre-K, and our special-ed classrooms in District 75. Next week, hundreds of thousands more,” de Blasio said at his daily press conference Monday.

All public school students who chose to attend class in person had been expected to return today, but late last week, for the second time, the mayor delayed day one for most of them in favor of a phased-in approach. That began Monday at schools like the Mosaic Pre-K Center in Elmhurst, Queens, where students like Oliver, who turns four next month, greeted de Blasio with elbow bumps.

Students and staff wore masks, and teachers had thermometers.

“The kids are wearing their masks. These are four year olds. They’re wearing their masks naturally—it really isn’t a hassle for them,” the mayor said.

Oliver's parents said he's used to his mask, but other rules took some reinforcing.

“He’s a hugger, so it was more about not everyone needs a hug,” his dad Franklin Jaramillo said.

Mixed with the typical emotions of the first day of school was anxiety about the pandemic.

"I think everybody is a little nervous, I have a family at home,” said teacher Sarah Istarki. “But we’re all here because we all love to teach and doing what we can, so we have our thermometers. We have our masks. We’re washing our hands, but we know this is really important for the children and the city, so that’s why we’re here.”

Many teachers and families have been rattled by last-minute delays. The mayor sought to reassure them.

“We continue to make sure that the schools are safe. We continue to listen to people, say, ‘Here's some things we can do better,’ and we’re making them happen,” de Blasio said.

Students in kindergarten through fifth grade and K-through-eight schools return next Monday; middle and high schools reopen October 1.

Questions remain about whether there will be enough teachers for them.

"There are DOE employees being applied to their schools, people, certified teachers being sent in where there's a gap. There are substitute teachers being hired. There are education students being hired and I see the pieces coming together,” de Blasio said.

The mayor has pledged to bring 4,500 new teachers into classrooms, but unions representing teachers and principals said they’ll need more when it’s time to open middle and high schools. The mayor did not directly answer a question today about how many he thought would be needed.

School technically began for all students Monday—online. That had bumps, too: log-in pages were down for about 10 minutes in the morning.

"It was very quickly remedied. It's up and running,” Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said.

Up and running, like the students heading into this new academic year.