After outcry, San Diego Unified cancels ‘mental health day’

San Diego Unified canceled a proposed “mental health” day off for students on Friday after parents complained that last-minute child-care changes would cause more, not fewer, mental health challenges.

“After careful consideration, we have decided to keep our classrooms open next Friday,” Superintendent Lamont Jackson said in a letter to parents, according to KPBS. “We will continue to offer students the chance to use that day to rest and recharge. Families that choose to keep their students out of school for a mental health day on Nov. 12 will have their absence marked as excused.”

Coming a day after Veterans Day, the proposed “mental health day” would have created a four-day weekend for students and staff. The district initially proposed the idea to give some relief to students who were still feeling stressed due to the pandemic. Families could use the extra day to relax or get their children vaccinated, the district recommended.