NYC students to get an extra day off – here’s when

NEW YORK (PIX11) – New York City Public Schools students will get an extra day off during winter break this year, school officials announced Wednesday.

Students will now have off Monday, Dec. 23, which was originally a school day on the 2024-2025 calendar.

Instead of having to go back to school that Monday for a one-day week before winter break, students will get the day off.

This will give students 12 straight days off from school over winter break counting weekends -- between Saturday, Dec. 21 and Wednesday, Jan. 1. Students will return to school after break on Thursday, Jan. 2.

"We know that a one-day week would not be well attended — so this just makes good sense," Mayor Eric Adams said.

New York City Public Schools will still meet the state's 180-day school year requirement without having to add another day to the calendar, according to the Department of Education.

The decision was made after an eighth grader named Isaac Regnier started a Change.org petition to change the school calendar. The petition received more than 22,000 signatures.

Mayor Adams said Isaac wrote him a letter asking for Dec. 23 to be part of their winter break. Adams surprised Isaac with a personal phone call to announce the news.

"Your advocacy was important, and I hope you know that when you stand up and request for things that are important to you, people listen. I read your letter and I was really inspired by your letter," Adams told Isaac.