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NYC schools will reopen in person Tuesday, Mayor Mamdani says
By
Jessica Gould
Published Feb 23, 2026
Modified Feb 23, 2026
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Brittany Kriegstein
By
Jessica Gould
Published Feb 23, 2026
Modified Feb 23, 2026
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Mayor Mamdani announced New York City’s public schools will reopen on Tuesday, even as a blizzard continued dumping snow throughout the region.
“School will be in-person tomorrow,” Mamdani said at a press conference on Monday. Speaking to students, Mamdani said, “You can still pelt me with snowballs when you see me.”
Public school families had seen their midwinter break extended unexpectedly due to the blizzard. While many kids cheered the return to a traditional snow day on Monday without remote learning, many parents said they were ready to send the kids back to school.
Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said all schools will be “fully open and operational” tomorrow and that “normal programming and extracurricular activities will resume.”
Officials said 8,000 education department employees were clearing school properties and preparing for students to return to buildings.
But the teachers' union, the United Federation of Teachers, sent out a message to members to be cautious.
“We know tomorrow’s commute may pose a real challenge for some of our members,” the union posted on X. “No one should jeopardize their safety trying to report to work.”
Monday’s old-fashioned snow day was the first of its kind since 2019, before the pivot to remote learning during the pandemic. The rise of remote learning, combined with a school calendar increasingly packed with holidays, threatened to end traditional snow days forever.
Parents and students have consistently complained about the hassles of remote learning and lobbied for genuine, old-school days off.
Mamdani said the state granted a waiver from the required 180 days of learning to allow for the traditional snow day on Monday.
He cited the logistical challenges tied to the midwinter break, which was last week. The break made it harder to ensure all kids had their devices for remote learning.
Some students and teachers were also still stuck in transit from their vacations after hundreds of flights were canceled due to the storm.
Officials said they expected “a smaller amount of snow” on Wednesday.
This story has been updated with new information.
Tagged
February 2026 Blizzard
Zohran Mamdani
education
new york city
weather
Jessica Gould
Jessica is the education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jessica reported on the shutdown and reopening of the nation’s largest school system, highlighting the unprecedented impacts on learning, health and mental health for students, staff and families. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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