Public School students in limbo waiting on snow day decision from city
The mayor and schools chancellor said the final decision will be made Sunday afternoon.
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New York City is bracing for a major snowstorm expected to hit Sunday, and parents are waiting to learn whether public schools will be open or shift to remote learning.
By Sunday afternoon, the city plans to notify families if students should stay home or report to school.
While public school students in grades six through 12 already have the day off, the status of elementary schools remains uncertain.
“We take it very seriously when we call for a remote school day because we know it has an impact on parents’ lives,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The mayor says that while he enjoyed traditional snow days as a child, he emphasized the state’s requirement that schools hold 180 instructional days each year.
He noted that previous administrations have added holidays to the school calendar, leaving little room for flexibility.
School Chancellor Kamar Samuels said that remote snow days can still be enjoyable.
“We’re not asking kids to be in front of a computer for six hours,” he said. “You can still have your hot chocolate. You can still go out and enjoy the snow.”
Teachers have been preparing students for a possible switch to online learning. But many still remember the systemwide crash in 2024 that locked out students and teachers.
“They didn’t have a platform that could handle anywhere near the volume of the New York City school system,” said Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers.
The city says it has learned from past mistakes. Samuels said the system has been stress-tested with simulations and in-person student logins.
“We now have the capacity for a million students to log in at the same time within 60 seconds,” he said.
The final decision on Monday’s school schedule will depend on how much snow actually falls.
