Facing an approaching winter storm over the weekend, New York City Mayor Mamdani stated on the 23rd that there will not be a traditional “snow day” this time. On Monday, January 26th, public schools will either have in-person classes or switch to online teaching. The city government will decide by Sunday noon whether to close school buildings and initiate online learning.
The city government explained that the New York City public school calendar is already packed with the required 180 instructional days (meeting the minimum state funding criteria), leaving little room for “emergency instructional days.” Therefore, if school buildings need to be closed due to snowfall, traditional days off will be replaced by online learning.
In determining whether to close schools, Mamdani mentioned that “6 inches of snow” can serve as a general reference threshold: less than 6 inches usually leans towards remaining open, while over 6 inches is more likely to result in school closures and a switch to remote learning. However, he emphasized that this is only a guideline and not a firm commitment.
The city government stated that they will test the remote learning platform over the weekend and conduct stress tests. Schools have instructed students to bring home their instructional devices and login instructions on Friday. Schools have also been directed to confirm whether students have access to tablets or laptops to avoid any disruptions in transitioning to online learning. Education Director Samuels stated that the remote arrangements will be more flexible, not requiring students to “stare at the screen all day.” Teachers and students are encouraged to log in for testing over the weekend and can stagger the online sessions (e.g., staggered by 15 minutes per grade) to reduce traffic congestion from simultaneous logins.
On the logistical side, the city government also announced the cancellation of Sunday’s Public School Athletic League (PSAL) activities and other Sunday school events. As Monday is already a scheduled “professional development day” off for high school students and grades 6-12 schools, the impact of a switch to remote learning will mainly focus on the pickup and care arrangements for elementary school and most middle school families.