There is promising new data this morning when it comes to getting Hudson Valley kids back into the classroom safely.

A new study found in-person learning in New York City's public schools did not lead to a spike in COVID-19 cases.

This comes as many districts in the Hudson Valley are rolling out plans to bring more students back into the classroom full-time to finish out the school year.

Only .4% of the 200,000 people tested in the city's schools between October and December 2020 came back positive.  And only .5% of those who were directly exposed in school ended up catching the virus. "These data points and additional studies that continue to come out only help because it provides the foundation on which you can build a smart, safe, layered mitigation strategy to reopen your schools," says White Plains School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca.

The study does have its limits -- mainly that schools were testing randomly to look for asymptomatic cases while people in the community were more likely to get tested if they were exposed or feeling sick.