Should N.J. school districts all have the same spring break? One lawmaker is trying to mandate it.

Thousands of New Jersey public school students are on spring break this week. Some were off last week.

A state lawmaker wants to change that and has introduced a bill that would have New Jersey’s nearly 600 school districts observe the same spring break beginning with the 2026-2027.

State Sen. Patrick Diegnan (D., Middlesex), believes the change is needed for families to observe the same schedule. Teachers often live in towns other than where they work, and the different weeks off can present scheduling problems, he said. And in some cases, families might have children in two different districts.

» READ MORE: Most New Jersey public schools have reopened, and here’s how they’re making up missed days

If signed into law by Gov. Mikie Sherrill, the bill would require the state education commissioner annually to recommend a date for all school districts to observe the same spring break.

“It’s important for families to spend time together, be together,” Diegnan said in an interview this week. “To me, it’s just common sense.”

Diegnan pointed to his own family, as an example. His daughter teaches in New Brunswick, and lives in South Plainfield. The districts take their breaks on different weeks, making it impossible to plan a family vacation during that time, he said. The break schedule can also impact parental work schedules, he said.

Not everyone agrees with having universal spring break, however, and the bill could have an uphill battle. Versions of the bill have been introduced previously and have not passed.

School calendars are determined by local school districts, with the state requiring that schools open for at least 180 days. The school year must align with the state’s fiscal year and end by June 30 or earlier.

Many districts plan spring break around religious holidays such as Passover and Good Friday and Easter.

This year, some South Jersey districts cut short their spring break to make up snow days. Cherry Hill had classes on March 30 and 31, which were supposed to be the first two days of spring break. Winslow also cut spring break short. Other districts had built-in days in their calendars that covered the missed days. School officials say flexibility is needed to adjust the calendar.

When schools close for spring break should be decided by local boards and school officials, said Timothy Purnell, executive director of the New Jersey School Boards Association. He called the bill “family-friendly,” but said it should not become a mandate.

“Spring breaks across the country span from late February through mid-April, with no state known to mandate a uniform date. School boards know their communities best — their religious observances, their local economies, their family traditions. Spring break shouldn’t be set in Trenton,” Purnell said in a statement.

While supporting the spirit of the bill, Clayton School Superintendent Nick Koutsogiannis said setting the school calendar should remain under local control, especially when flexibility is necessary to use spring break for emergency closings.

“I would love to see legislation passed on allowing virtual school days in cases of emergency. But I guess that is a conversation for another day,” said Koutsogiannis. (New Jersey currently only allows remote instruction under special circumstances such as a declared public health emergency).

Cherry Hill parent Carolina Bevad said she has mixed feelings about having a fixed spring break date. There are more pressing concerns with districts facing budget cuts, she said.

“Of all the things that our state could be working on aligning spring break is not the top of my priorities, “ she said.

Bevad, who has two sons in the public schools, said more attention should be placed on scheduling uninterrupted weeks without students missing instruction time. The district should steer away from scheduling religious holidays and observe federal holidays, she said. Excused absences could be allowed for teachers and students for religious holidays, she said.

“My priorities are really quality instruction,” Bevad said. “It just makes the calendar really choppy if you are appealing to everybody.”

A spokesperson for the state Department of Education declined to comment on the bill.

Steve Baker, spokesperson for the New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, said the union has not taken a position on the bill. Diegnan said he has received support from teachers.

Deignan said lawmakers in the Assembly have expressed interest in cosponsoring the bull. He believes the Senate Education Committee will hold a hearing on the bill as early as May. If it advances and passes, he said he hopes it could land on the governor’s desk by June and signed into law for the upcoming school year.

“I don’t even understand why there would be any pushback. Let’s at least try it and see how it works,” Diegnan said.