New York City’s public school system is adding another day off next school year after it was warned kids were likely to miss class over a quirk of timing.
Next year’s draft school calendar scheduled winter recess to conclude on Jan. 1, meaning students and their teachers would have been forced to report to buildings for only one day that week: Friday, Jan. 2.
While the holiday season is months away, an update to the calendar, released at the end of last week, gave families the extra day for the next winter break.
“We got it done! Friday, Jan. 2, is now part of winter break,” the United Federation of Teachers texted members. A rep for the schools confirmed the change.
School calendars have become one of the city’s great education debates, as the addition of new school holidays such as Diwali have come up against a state requirement that all public schools offer at least 180 school days. The result has been little leeway in the calendar when it comes to snow days — when classes now shift online — or illogically timed school breaks.
Even so, the school system did not tack on another school day next June. It previously used teacher training days to comply with the law.
The extended winter recess comes after Mayor Adams at the eleventh hour canceled school on the Monday before the break started last December — a decision he credited to a Brooklyn middle schooler who had launched a citywide petition.
The Council of School Supervisors and Administrators said it had asked at the time for the days off both this school year and next. “Our concerns were heard regarding December 23, 2024, but the [city Education Department] reversed course late, causing confusion,” read an internal memo from the principals union. “We are pleased that the [department] … acted earlier in this instance.”
Originally Published: June 2, 2025 at 3:48 PM EDT
