LOS ANGELES — Winter breaks will be shorter over the next three years, the Los Angeles Unified School District announced Monday. The change is designed to balance the fall and spring semesters, synchronize with other school districts and lessen the learning loss from what has traditionally been a three-week holiday.

“The new instructional calendars address the need to mitigate learning loss by shortening the winter recess and extending options for summer programming,” LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said in a statement. “We have also maintained a student-centered focus in scheduling future instructional calendars to address family needs of child care and food assistance, as well as provide a calendar that delivers the best educational experience.”

The district made its decision about the 2023-2026 instructional calendars after conducting surveys and focus groups with families, school staff and labor partners. Because LA’s winter break was not the same as many local and national school districts, it created inconsistencies for families that come from other parts of the state or country and school employees whose children attend neighboring districts.

“With this instructional calendar, we are trying to balance the needs of students who benefit from time in the classroom, of adults in our schools who deserve time to rest and rejuvenate and our parents who often have to scramble for childcare the third week of vacation,” LA Unified Board president Jack Goldberg said in a statement.

Winter break for the 2023-2024 instructional calendar will run from Dec. 20, 2023, to Jan. 5, 2024, under the new LA Unified Board-approved plan. The 2024-2025 winter break will run from Dec. 23, 2024, to Jan. 3, 2025; the 2025-2026 winter break is from Dec. 22, 2025, to Jan. 2, 2026.