New York City’s public school students will have an extra day off this year. On October 30th, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the city’s education director, and the president of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) jointly announced that students will have an additional day off for the upcoming winter break, starting on December 23rd, one day earlier than in previous years.
This means that New York City’s public schools will be on winter break from December 23rd to January 1st, with students returning to school on January 2nd. This year, students in New York City’s public schools will enjoy a 12-day break for the winter holiday, including weekends.
The Department of Education said that this adjustment was made after discussions with teachers, parents, and unions. It aims to strike a balance between the social and emotional needs of the school community during the holiday break and the academic requirements mandated by the state, while ensuring that the school year meets the 180-day instructional requirement set by New York State.
Mayor Adams stated that moving the start of the winter break up by one day to December 23rd allows everyone to have more quality time with their families and friends without shortening the children’s educational time.
New York City’s Education Director, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, and United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew expressed that by adding an extra day to the winter break, the season becomes brighter and ensures that students recharge during the holiday season before the new year begins. This will help everyone return to school after the break feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the remainder of the academic year.
Five years ago in 2019, New York City also made a similar decision to begin the winter break on December 23rd.