Mayor Adams, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos, UFT President Mulgrew Announce Extra Recess Day on December 23

October 30, 2024

Video available at: https://youtu.be/NiiyIlaBHuQ

Administration, Parents, School Staff, and Labor Partners Collaborated to Expand 2024 Winter Break While Ensuring Mandated 180 Designated School Days Are Still Met This School Year 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, and United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Michael Mulgrew today announced that December 23, 2024 — previously a school day on the 2024-2025 school year calendar — will now be a non-school day for New York City Public School students. This collaborative decision will give staff, students, and their families an extra day to spend together during the winter recess. 

The change comes after discussions between teachers, parents, and labor partners to find a commonsense solution that meets the needs of the community during the hectic holiday season.  The state’s 180-day school year requirement will still be met, ensuring students receive the full instructional time they need. This means students will not lose any classroom time despite the extra day off during the winter break. This calendar adjustment demonstrates the city's commitment to balancing the social-emotional needs of the school community with the academic requirements set forth by New York state.  

“Winter break this school year will now start one day early, on December 23rd, so that everyone can enjoy the extra time with family and friends,” said Mayor Adams. “We know that a one-day week would not be well attended — so this just makes good sense. Our children’s education will not be short-changed, so we will still maintain the required 180 days of instruction. I want to thank the teachers, parents, and our labor partners at the UFT who helped us make this good sense decision.” 

“Winter is a time for gathering, joy, and reflection,” said Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos. “By giving our students and staff this extra day off, we’re not just making the season brighter; we’re ensuring that our young learners have the chance to recharge their batteries before the new year. We are excited to give them the gift of time to shine!”  

“I am glad we could reach this resolution together. It is the right decision to give our students and educators more time with their families,” said Michael Mulgrew, president, United Federation of Teachers. “It helps everyone come back from winter recess refreshed and ready for the rest of the school year.” 

“In New York City, we are committed to a school calendar that reflects the needs of all New Yorkers. I was proud to lead and win the fight for the Diwali school holiday, with the support of Mayor Adams, President Mulgrew, and the New York City Public Schools system,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “On Friday, for the first time over 200,000 Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh children will celebrate the day without having to miss school. Today we continue our work to shape a responsive school calendar by designating December 23, which falls on a Monday in 2024, as a recess day. We are effectively giving hundreds of thousands of students and families an extra three-day weekend to prepare for holiday celebrations and travel to visit loved ones. Together, we will ensure that the nation’s largest school system is always centered on the needs of families.” 

“The addition of an extra recess day on December 23 will help our city's students and their families get the holiday season off to a great start,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “I'm pleased that the 180-day requirement will still be met, even with the addition of this extra recess day. I hope all of our city's public-school students, teachers and staff enjoy the holidays and will be refreshed and ready to return to school on January 2.”  

“I am very glad to see that Monday, December 23, has been made a non-school day, allowing families to properly start their winter breaks when school lets out on Friday the 20th,” said New York City Councilmember Justin Brannan. “I am especially proud and not surprised that this commonsense idea came from a Bay Ridge student. We were able to take a constituent’s good point and turn it into a policy decision that will make the holiday season a little bit brighter for families across New York City, all without shortening the 180-day school year. That’s government working the way it’s supposed to.” 

“I’m thrilled that students, teachers, and families will have this added day for rest and connection before the holidays,” said New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers. “Thank you to the administration, the United Federation of Teachers, and our city's families for their leadership on this initiative, which shows the power of collaboration to bring meaningful benefits to our school communities. I hope these families and students enjoy a joyous winter recess.”