NYC Public Schools Go Remote on Election Day for the First Time — What Families Need Ready by Tuesday

New York City public school families have a new kind of Election Day to plan for. On Tuesday, November 3, school will be in session remotely for all students — the first time the city's public schools have conducted Election Day remotely rather than simply closing, according to New York City Public Schools' November guide for families. Students stay home, classes meet online, and the buildings that serve as polling places belong to the voters for the day.

The school system's instruction to families is practical and short. Every child needs a working, internet-enabled device at home, and every student needs to know how to sign in to their NYCPS Student Account before Tuesday morning. Families who hit a problem can use the system's self-service page at selfservice.schools.nyc or ask their child's school for help — this weekend, while there is still time to fix a login, is when the system is urging families to test it.

Election Day is only the first date on a crowded November calendar. Parent-teacher conferences begin with elementary schools on the afternoon and evening of November 5, continue for middle schools and District 75 schools on November 12, and reach high schools on the evening of November 19 and the afternoon of November 20. Schools are closed on Wednesday, November 11 for Veterans Day, and again on November 26 and 27 for the Thanksgiving recess.

The remote day is also a rehearsal the system intends to reuse. NYC Public Schools says remote learning will take place on Election Day and any time in-person learning is cancelled because of severe weather or another emergency — which means the device and account check families do this weekend is the same preparation the system will expect before the first snow day of the winter.