The Bethpage School District has its first day of class on Thursday, Aug. 28, making it one of the first in Nassau County to start the school year this fall.
Last year, Bethpage held its first day of school on Sept. 3, the day after Labor Day. This year, the district has moved the start day before the holiday.
But Superintendent Dave Schneider said this won’t affect things within the classroom.
“We’re not changing any normal procedure for that first day, simply because it’s before Labor Day,” Schneider said. “It’s the same first day introductions, getting to know expectations and starting to move along with the instruction.”
Jericho School District begins classes on Wednesday, Aug. 27, making it the first on Long Island to do so. The Bethpage and Herricks School Districts are the only other ones in Nassau to begin classes before Labor Day.
Districts are required to have at least 180 days of instruction, with some exceptions, to meet the state’s requirements. Districts also account for holidays and days off due to snow or other inclement weather when creating their calendar.
Bethpage has 184 days of school marked on its 2025-26 academic calendar. Two of those days are reserved as conference days and the rest will be used for instruction.
“This year, it meant that I needed to find one extra day here to make our days fit, which meant a day before Labor Day,” Schneider said.
The district has a conference day on the 27th, preceding the first day on the 28th. Schools in the district are then closed on Friday, Aug. 29, before resuming instruction following Labor Day.
