Schools to reopen Monday, Mayor says

In what comes as a major relief to parents, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Thursday that city schools, which have been closed since Monday, would reopen next week.

"We plan to reopen public schools for classes on Monday and we have a lot of work to do to get ready," Bloomberg said at a midday news conference.

Evacuation shelters, some of which were located in city schools, were consolidated in part to move people out of the schools so that they might be readied for classes, the mayor said.

Details as to whether schools damaged by flooding would also be open Monday were scant at press time. Spokesmen for the Board of Ed and United Federation of Teachers were not available to respond to inquiries. Bloomberg said all public school teachers, principals and staff were to report to work Friday.