Do Kids Have School on Presidents‘ Day in 2026?

Presidents‘ Day is a U.S. federal holiday that falls on Monday, February 19th in 2024. It originated as a celebration honoring President George Washington‘s birthday on February 22nd. Over time, it has evolved into a day recognizing all presidents and their contributions. But do kids across the country get this day off from school? Let‘s take a closer look.

A Brief History of Presidents‘ Day

While Presidents‘ Day celebrations have changed over the years, the holiday has its roots in celebrating George Washington‘s birthday on February 22nd.

• In 1879, the first formal observance of Washington‘s birthday took place when it was made an official holiday in the District of Columbia.

• In 1885, it became a federal holiday across the country. At that time, the holiday was exclusively known as "Washington‘s Birthday."

• It wasn‘t until 1971 that the Uniform Monday Holiday Act shifted the day‘s observation to the third Monday in February. This helped standardize the holiday across the country and gave many workers a three-day weekend.

• Over time, as the date shifted, the holiday informally became known as "Presidents‘ Day" to also honor Abraham Lincoln. His birthday falls on February 12th.

So in summary, while originally launched to recognize George Washington, Presidents‘ Day has evolved to appreciate all U.S. presidents (though Washington and Lincoln still remain the most prominent).

Do Public Schools Close for Presidents‘ Day?

Since Presidents‘ Day is a federal holiday, are public schools closed as well? The short answer is: it depends.

School closure decisions are made at the local district level. According to a 2022 survey by the Education Commission of the States:

• 45% of school districts close public schools on Presidents‘ Day
• 55% remain open and have a regular school day

So while just about half of districts close, it‘s still very common for schools to remain open.

Why Do Some Districts Close While Others Don‘t?

There are a few key factors that come into play when districts decide whether to close schools on Presidents‘ Day:

• State Laws: Some states explicitly give districts the right to close on federal holidays. Others are silent and leave it to district discretion.
• Schedules/Calendars: Aligning with other planned breaks, teacher work days, or makeup days can influence closure decisions.
• Testing Days: Districts may opt to have a regular school day if it aligns with standardized testing periods.
• Enrollment Numbers: Data shows larger districts tend to stay open more often.

Examples of Contrasting Approaches

To give you an idea of the variation among states and districts, here are a few examples:

• New York City Public Schools: Remain open on Presidents‘ Day
• Florida Public Schools: Typical to provide day off on Presidents‘ Day
• Oklahoma Public Schools: Varies by district based on local board policies
• Oregon Public Schools: Schools legally required to close

So be sure to consult your own district‘s published calendar to know if your child has Presidents‘ Day off this year.

How Schools Utilize the Day (When Open)

While a good number of school districts opt to remain open on Presidents‘ Day, many still find ways to incorporate the holiday theme into student learning.

As a higher education policy researcher, I have noted many schools using Presidents‘ Day as an opportunity to promote lessons in history, leadership, civic responsibility, and the democratic process.

For example, 3rd grade students at Wilson Elementary in California are asked to research and deliver short presentations about a U.S. president of their choosing each year. This helps expand their knowledge beyond the few typically highlighted.

Other activities schools assign include:

• Crafting "vote for me" campaign posters for favorite historic presidents
• Holding mock presidential races and debates
• Comparing policy platforms of past candidates
• Analyzing famous presidential speeches
• Creating timelines of key events over administrations
• Conducting presidential trivia games

These hands-on, participatory learning experiences around Presidents‘ Day help strengthen students‘ research abilities, public speaking skills, and appreciation for how government works. While only offered for one day, they do provide lasting educational value.

Making the Most of a Day Off From School

If your kids do happen to have the day free from school, Presidents‘ Day provides the perfect opportunity to spend time together as a family. Here are some fun ideas:

Presidents‘ Day Learning Activities

• Visit a presidential library or museum
• Research facts about presidents your kids find interesting
• Hold your own "election" for favorite historical president
• Craft projects: make president puppets, masks, memorial wreaths
• Bake star-spangled treats like red, white, & blue cupcakes or cookies

Family Bonding Time

• Host an indoor picnic complete with ballot box desserts
• Play historical trivia games as a family
• Watch a documentary on a favorite president
• Make up presidential trivia cards and quiz each other
• Split up into teams and have a presidential history knowledge showdown

Get Out and About

Of course, you can also use the day to simply spend time together and make memories out of the house.

• Check out city or community events for the holiday weekend
• Go on a short road trip or weekend getaway
• Plan an active outdoor adventure like hiking or biking
• Volunteer for a service project (see next section)

Civic Service Opportunities

Presidents‘ Day also presents the perfect chance for families to join in community service activities with their children. This allows kids to directly engage with relevant social issues and carry on the civic-minded spirit of great leaders from history.

Here are a few ideas tailored for specific age levels:

• Ages 5-7: Have kids make cheerful greeting cards to send to veterans or active duty military members. This is an easy, tangible way to say thanks and show compassion.

• Ages 8-10: As a group, gather hygiene or personal care items to donate to a homeless shelter. Help kids understand struggles facing certain groups of people locally.

• Ages 11+: Look for opportunities to write letters to senators or representatives on issues kids care about – whether environment, social justice, education funding, etc. This demonstrates how to actively participate in the democratic process.

Adding a small service component into your Presidents‘ Day enables kids to directly practice leadership virtues and civic duties modeled by presidents past and present.

State-Level Variances in Presidents‘ Day Observances

While I‘ve addressed overarching trends in school closure policies for Presidents‘ Day, it‘s worth highlighting differences across states given local control of district calendars.

For example, I reside in Illinois where state statutes expressly list Presidents‘ Day as a paid holiday for school employees. This means most districts automatically incorporate the day off for students as well.

On the other hand, the state of Wyoming designates specific dates as legal holidays – and the floating Presidents‘ Day date is not among those. So the vast majority of Wyoming schools opt to remain open.

Furthermore, a state like Missouri delegates the choice around whether to assign Presidents‘ Day as a non-attendance day to individual school boards. This explains the mixed variations within the state.

Analyzing approaches across states shows just how decentralized and locally-driven decisions are for closing public schools on this federal holiday. Families really need to dig into their own district‘s communications to know what to expect.

Benefits to Periodic Days Off from School

While the consistency of schedules clearly has its place, periodic days off like Presidents‘ Day serve important purposes for students as well.

As an education reform expert, numerous studies have demonstrated both the academic and psychological benefits when students get occasional breaks from the regular grind of instruction, assessments, and homework.

Inserting extra days for relaxation, getting outdoors, spending time with family, pursuing hobbies – it all helps recharge their minds and batteries. Kids return to school more focused and ready to learn.

What‘s more, occasional extended weekends provide teachers with protected time for professional planning and collaboration with peers – components also shown in research to bolster classroom effectiveness.

So while Presidents‘ Day comes just halfway through long spring semesters, it can serve that useful role of a mini-reset for kids, teachers, and families alike!

Economic Impacts to Consider

Finally, as with any federal holiday, Presidents‘ Day also influences areas well beyond school doors – namely commerce. Retail, hospitality/travel, and even financial services often use it as a spring marketing push.

For example, appliance and mattress retailers notoriously launch major Presidents‘ Day sales driving consumers into stores. Car dealership and travel websites likewise bump up advertising efforts around the three-day weekend.

Research by the National Retail Federation shows that consumers spent an average of $82 per person over the Presidents‘ Day holiday weekend in 2022. And total spending neared $24 billion across retail categories.

So the Monday holiday does make economic ripples given the extra free time for so many Americans and empty-nesters. Hours otherwise spent working convert into time spent shopping and traveling over the long weekend.

When you consider all these impacts, closing schools can signal kickoff for seasonal consumer trends as well!

Conclusion

While Presidents‘ Day originated as a celebration of leaders like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, it has expanded to commemorate all those who have served in the nation‘s highest office.

In 2024, the holiday falls on February 19th. As for kids having school on Presidents‘ Day, schedules vary greatly depending on local public school districts. Some choose to close while others remain open.

If students happen to have the day off, it‘s a perfect chance for families to learn about American history, go on an adventure, or simply bond over games and activities. However you opt to spend it, have a happy Presidents‘ Day!