On May 1, 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State public school buildings will remain closed for the rest of the 2019–20 school year.

In response, UFT President Michael Mulgrew issued the following statement:

The Governor recognizes the difficulties of re-opening school buildings in a way that is safe for students, staff and families. We fully support his decision to keep school buildings closed the remainder of this school year. This gives educators, parents and elected officials time to tackle the challenges of re-opening the buildings and figuring out the right balance of in-person and distance learning for when they do.