U-M has been ranked a top public school in the country -- again -- by U.S. News & World Report.

Andrew Cuomo said Monday he's ordering schools in certain New York City neighborhoods closed within a day in an attempt to halt a flare-up of the coronavirus. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday, saying the severity of shutdowns would vary by proximity to the hot spots. In orange zones, schools also will be remote-only, and nonessential enterprises considered high risk — such as gyms and personal-care businesses — will be closed. In yellow zones, businesses and schools can stay open, with mandatory weekly testing of a yet-to-be-determined percentage of students and teachers. In New York City, about 11,600 people have tested positive since Sept. 1, compared with less than 7,400 in August.

The city's plans to send kids back into classrooms rely on an ambitious plan to do random virus testing of pupils and staff throughout the school year. The New York and Los Angeles systems are respectively the nation's largest and 2nd-largest school districts. New York City elementary school students began returning to school buildings Tuesday after starting the year remote. Middle and high school students started going back Thursday. Boston Public Schools will offer random virus testing to 5% of teachers weekly, under an agreement with the teachers union.

ANN ARBOR – The University of Michigan has held onto its spot as the No. 3 top public school in the nation for the second year in a row, according to U.S. News & World Report. U-M trailed University of California - Los Angeles and University of California - Berkeley, which ranked first and second, respectively. 6 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs. University of Michigan has an undergraduate enrollment of 31,266 and costs $15,948 for in-state students and $52,266 for out-of-state students.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. Dr. Jennifer Green, superintendent of the Southfield Public Schools district, talked to us about plans for returning to school this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic. She talked about a need for business engagement to get almost half of her students connected in time for fall. She also discussed whether or not in-person learning will be possible at the start of the school year. Related: Heres what Michigan school districts have planned for the fall amid the pandemicMichigan school districts, colleges and universities are working to prepare for a return to in-person classes this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic. Please share your thoughts and concerns about returning to in-person learning this fall -- we want to hear from you:View more: School Confessionals