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Getty Images<\/p>\n\t\tGetty Images<\/p>\n
A new Bronx charter school is opening with a 50-week calendar and 7 am\u20137 pm hours, designed to better align with working parents\u2019 schedules.<\/p>\n
At a Glance<\/p>\n
School: Strive Charter School (public charter), Bronx \u2014 grades K\u20134
\nAddress: 604 E. 139th St.
\nHours: 7 am\u20137 pm
\nWeekday schedule: Drop-off 7\u20139 a.m. + pick-up 4:30\u20137 p.m. (both flexible)
\nExtras: Optional weekend programming + planned 50-week calendar
\nMeals: Free breakfast, lunch, and dinner on open days<\/p>\n
Why it matters: For NYC families juggling commutes, meetings, and after-school logistics, those extra built-in hours could make the day feel far more manageable.<\/p>\n
Psst\u2026 Check Out Gov. Hochul Announces 2-Care: Free Child Care for 2-Year-Olds in New York<\/a><\/p>\n For parents and kids in New York City, everything revolves around the school day. Every NYC parent knows the drill: the early-morning scramble, followed by the mid-afternoon dismissal. Then there is the after-school gap as part of the constant childcare patchwork. And let\u2019s not forget the summer break logistics. Parents spend an incredible amount of time simply trying to make the calendar work.<\/p>\n When my kids were little, I was fortunate enough to have an employer who allowed me to leave the office in time to pick up my kids from school and then finish the rest of the day remotely once I got back home. It was a blessing \u2026 and a nightmare! So many days, I rushed to make it to the office on time for 9 am after drop-off, then scrambled to get to school on time for dismissal, often with delayed subways and last-minute work issues. What I would have given for a little leeway.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why a new Bronx charter school is drawing attention for a schedule that\u2019s almost unheard of in NYC: Strive Charter School plans to be open from 7 am to 7 pm, with weekend availability and a calendar designed to cover most of the year.<\/p>\n New Bronx Charter School: What Strive\u2019s Schedule Looks Like<\/p>\n Strive Charter School is a public charter serving grades K\u20134 at 604 E. 139th Street in the Bronx. The building will be open 7 am\u20137 pm on weekdays, with a 7\u20139 am drop-off window and a 4:30\u20137 pm pick-up window.<\/p>\n The school also plans to operate on weekends and for most of the summer, with a 50-week calendar. So it\u2019s not technically longer school for kids but much more flexibility built into the day for parents.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are trying to address a critical part of affordability for parents, which is childcare. Schools educate children but they also enable parents to work but they do a very bad job of it,\u201d says Executive Director of Strive, Eric Grannis. \u201cFor example, schools close for the summer. It makes no sense. People\u2019s jobs don\u2019t close for the summer. And school lets out at about 3:30. Few jobs end by 3:30.\u201d<\/p>\n The school\u2019s weekend and summer programs are designed as fun learning. Each day includes a few reading periods, with students choosing their own books and having the option to read with friends. Other activities include sports, science experiments, and board games, such as Backgammon and Monopoly, that help build math and strategy skills.<\/p>\n Grannis says that on weekends and during the summer, Strive will be even more flexible.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can show up if you want and when you want. You could drop off your kid for a couple of hours while you do your laundry, or you can drop off your child for 12 hours while you drive an Uber or deliver packages for Amazon, \u201c he says. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to tell us whether you\u2019re coming, when you are coming, or when you will pick up your child \u2013 but if you do, we\u2019ll have him ready when you arrive and at the exit to make your life easy.\u201d<\/p>\n What Happens During the Extended Hours<\/p>\n The 12-hour schedule doesn\u2019t mean kids are in classroom lessons all day long. The extra hours include structured time before and after the core school day, designed for reading, enrichment, and play-based learning.<\/p>\n Weekend and summer programs are optional, giving families coverage and choice, rather than forcing students into extra time.<\/p>\n Parents can drop in and take advantage of these hours if they need flexibility or simply pick up at the traditional dismissal time, which is, honestly, a godsend.<\/p>\n Meals are also part of the plan. Every parent also knows that packing lunches and making breakfast and dinner can also be sources of stress when rushing. To that end, Strive will provide free breakfast, lunch, and dinner on every day the school is open.<\/p>\n Why This Schedule Matters<\/p>\n Every parent knows the logistics problems well. Even when after-school programs exist, they can be expensive, unreliable, or end too early. Instead of racing to make a tight drop-off window, you can get more breathing room. And instead of piecing together plans for aftercare, the coverage is already built into the school day.<\/p>\n For families working nontraditional schedules, such as healthcare workers, service industry employees, transit workers, and parents juggling multiple jobs, the gap between school hours and work hours is often the biggest stress point in the week.<\/p>\n For more information, visit Strive Charter School<\/a>.<\/p>\n Psst\u2026 Check Out 3-K and Pre-K Applications Are Now Open in NYC: Apply by Feb. 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n
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