Newark Public Schools introduces longer school day for new year

NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) — Kids and parents can expect longer days when they head back this upcoming school year, Newark Public Schools announced.

Starting this 2024-2025 academic year all grades kindergarten through 12th grade will start their day at 8:15 a.m. and end at 3:05 p.m. The change amounts to a total of seven and half more days of instructional time over the course of the school year.

Along with longer school days, elementary schools will have 30 more hours of annual tutoring time. Paraprofessionals, teacher aides, parent liaisons and educational interpreters will also now work the same schedule as teachers.

The changes come as part of the June agreement between Newark Public Schools and the Newark Teachers Union. The new seven hour school day will allow for longer lunch periods and transition times, according to the union.

By unifying school schedules across the district, leaders for Newark Public Schools say they hope to improve efficiency and better facilitate coordination throughout the district.

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here .

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