What's happening
This bill prohibits schools in New York City from being in session on primary or general election days.
Why it matters
Addresses school safety and logistics. by ensuring that no NYC school is in session during primary or general elections, potentially reducing conflicts between voting activities and school operations, and lowering security risks associated with public access to school buildings on busy election days.
Affects family and student schedules. since parents will need to plan for additional days off during the school year, which may pose challenges for childcare and meal access for students who rely on school services.
Impacts instructional time and district planning. by requiring school districts to adjust academic calendars and potentially reschedule professional development or conference days to meet state instructional requirements.
Supports voter access and participation. by freeing up school buildings (commonly used as polling sites), making it easier for voters to access polling locations without interference from regular school activities.
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Who cares
Headline styles
No School on Election Days
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to new york city education
- Committee discharged and committed to new york city education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
No School on Election Days
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Stacey Pheffer Amato
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2745
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 29, 2019
Introduced by Sen. ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to school session days
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 3604 of the education law, as amended by chapter 260 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
8. No school shall be in session on a Saturday or a legal holiday, except general election day, Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday, and except that driver education classes may be conducted on a Saturday. No school located in a city with a population of one million or more shall be in session on the day of a primary election or general election. A deficiency not exceeding four days during any school year caused by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by superintendents of schools of city school districts or other school districts employing superintendents of schools shall be excused by the commissioner, notwithstanding any provision of law, rule or regulation to the contrary, a school district may elect to schedule such conference days in the last two weeks of August, subject to collective bargaining requirements pursuant to article fourteen of the civil service law, and such days shall be counted towards the required one hundred eighty days of session, provided however, that such scheduling shall not alter the obligation of the school district to provide transportation to students in non-public elementary and secondary schools or charter schools. The commissioner shall excuse a deficiency not exceeding four days during such school year caused by teachers' attendance upon conferences held by such superintendents, provided that at least two such conference days during such school year shall be dedicated to staff attendance upon conferences providing staff development relating to implementation of the new high learning standards and assessments, as adopted by the board
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03741-01-9
S. 2745 2
of regents. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule or regulation to the contrary, school districts may elect to use one or more of such allowable conference days in units of not less than one hour each to provide staff development activities relating to implementation of the new high learning standards and assessments. A district making such election may provide such staff development during the regularly scheduled daily session and apply such units to satisfy a deficiency in the length of one or more daily sessions of instruction for pupils as specified in regulations of the commissioner. The commissioner shall assure that such conference days include appropriate school violence prevention and intervention training, and may require that up to one such conference day be dedicated for such purpose.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to school session days
Purpose
This bill amends Education Law section 3604 subdivision 8 to prohibit school on either primary or general election day in a city with a popu- lation of one million or more.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Prohibits school on primary or general election day in a city with one million or more residents.
Section 2: Provides for the Act to take effect immediately.
Justification
The need for suitable poll sites, especially disabled accessible ones, has never been greater. Throughout the state new ballot marking devices and optical scan voting machines that are accessible to those with disa- bilities have replaced the lever machines. However, while these new systems are disabled accessible, all poll sites are not.
The new voting systems and their ability to handle multiple ballot types and election districts will require a reconfiguration of election districts and poll sites to maximize the efficient use of the new machines. Schools are ideal poll sites because they are public build- ings, are usually accessible to the disabled and have ample parking. Election Law section 4-104.3 reflects a preference for using schools as poll sites by stating that "a building exempt from taxation shall be used whenever possible as a polling place if it is situated in the same or a contiguous election district and, and may contain as many distinct- ly separate polling places as public convenience may require." The expense, if any, incidental to its use shall be paid like the expense of other places for registration and voting.
If the board or body empowered to designate polling places chooses a public school building for such purposes, as often happens, the board or agency which controls such building must make available a room or rooms in such building which are suitable for registration and voting, and which are as close as possible to a convenient entrance to such building and accessible to the physically disabled. However, the use of schools for poll sites when school is in session can and often does disrupt the usual schedule and operations of the entire school day, as well as the instruction occurring in the classrooms. And, an increased concern about the safety of the children at the schools makes school officials reluc- tant to open up their buildings for a public use while children are present. It also reduces available parking when school is in session on election day. By requiring that schools in cities with a population or one million or more are to be closed on election day, this bill will increase the availability of accessible public buildings for poll sites while causing minimal disruption to a school and no security risk for students.
Legislative history
2017: S.4012 - Referred to Education. 2018: S.4012 - Referred to Education.
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.