NEW YORK (AP) - More than half of New York City public school students stayed home following a snowstorm that blanketed about a foot of snow in the area.
A Department of Education spokeswoman says Wednesday’s attendance rate was 47.1 percent. The last time it was that low was January 2011, when a similar snowstorm resulted in a 49.1 percent attendance rate.
The average daily attendance rate is about 90 percent for the 1.1 million students who make up the nation’s largest public school system.
The storm dumped a foot or more of snow across the Northeast Tuesday, closing schools in Boston, Philadelphia and in parts of Connecticut and New Jersey.
Mayor Bill de Blasio (dih BLAH’-zee-oh) ordered schools open but has faced criticism for his handling of the city’s response to the storm.
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