School was back in session Wednesday for students in the Jericho School District.

Jericho is the first of Long Island's 124 public school districts to begin the 2018-19 school year.

Jericho starts early because they schedule more than the state-required minimum of school days.

New York state requires students to be in school for 180 days, but Jericho students are in class for 184 days. It’s been that way for more than 20 years.

“There are a lot of studies that show that the more contact time that the teachers have with the kids, the more successful students are,” says Denise Nash, the spokesperson for Jericho School District.

Across the country, education advocates are pushing for school calendars that are even longer, saying kids need more shorter breaks and less summer vacation.

This month, the Jericho School District was named best in the nation in the Niche 2019 Best School Districts ranking.

Other public schools across Nassau and Suffolk will start classes next week after Labor Day.