New York City school allows students to take day off after election due to emotional distress

A private school announced that students can take a day off after the election if they feel "emotionally distressed."

A private school in New York City announced on Thursday that students may take a day off after the presidential election if they feel “emotionally distressed,” as reported by The New York Times.

According to The Times, The Ethical Culture Fieldston School sent an email to families, stating it would allow students to miss classes when election results are released, recognizing it “may be a high-stakes and emotional time for our community.”

The pre-K through twelfth grade school indicated that students who feel they cannot “fully engage” in class may take the day off without affecting their assessments. The school also confirmed there would be no homework assignments on Election Day.

The New York Times reported that the school also plans to have psychologists available to support students.

“No matter the election outcome," the school “will create space to provide students with the support they may need,” Principal Stacey Bobo reportedly said.

The email included resources on talking to children about the election, including advice for parents on addressing election-related anxiety in children, according to The Times.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, whose two sons previously attended the school, reportedly told the newspaper that such decisions contributed to one of his children transferring schools.

“This is why the kids hated it,” Seinfeld was quoted as saying. “What kinds of lives have these people led that makes them think that this is the right way to handle young people? To encourage them to buckle. This is the lesson they are providing, for ungodly sums of money.”

Nearly 70% of adults said the election is a major source of stress, according to a recent poll by the American Psychological Association (APA).

“Stress surrounding the upcoming election seems overwhelming,” APA CEO Arthur Evans Jr. commented. “But despite concerns about a nation divided across cultural identities and political parties, it’s encouraging that hope could be the catalyst, where people can come together and have a stake in deciding their future.”