PAUSD doesn't have off for Columbus Day.
After school starts we have Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving and then Winter Break. We have very few fall holidays because there was a strong preference with the high schoolers to take finals before December break.

I believe the poster is referring to the Friday in October that is a Staff Development Day, thus, a three-day weekend for the students. The teachers are working that day. As the other poster mentioned, we do not get Columbus Day off.

Two of my children graduated from Paly recently and we always welcomed the extra days off that we had during the year and wish there were even more. Our high school students are already stressed and overworked so they need the breaks. Two and a half months isn't enough time off in the summer?! This must be personal. Perhaps the OP wants more time for international traveling or for extracurricular activities to build the resume.

Much more important is the bell schedule revision being considered at Paly. Hopefully, the start time will be 9:00 or later. Menlo-Atherton starts at 9:30. Our students need their sleep and their teen biological clocks are two hours later, thus they should not be on an adult schedule. There will be much less stress if the children are not exhausted.

@Experienced Parent
Yes, MA's 1st period starts at either 8:45 or 9:25 but that is because they call the period before that "0" period. There are 7 classes total (just like PAUSD high schools) but MA calls them 0 - 6 period instead of 1 - 7 like Paly or A-G like Gunn. In order to take 7 classes (like all PAUSD Freshman as well as most Sophomore and Juniors) an MA student would have to take the 0 period class that starts at 7:50. The biggest issue with a later start is the class missed for students that take 7 period and play a sport. Over 50% of the student body at each school plays at least one school sport.

@palo verde parent: Perhaps you are correct about M-A. However, I believe your "over 50%" stat is wildly incorrect. No only, why are students enrolled in 7 periods? High school graduation and college requirements are only 6 periods. Moreover, those who are athletes who need to leave early for games either have no 7th period or are placed in a non-core 7th period class. Our students need their sleep and they are not getting it! Where's the survey that any high school PAUSD student claims to get enough sleep? EVERYONE is sleep-deprived unless they don't care about their academics. It's for the good of our students to roll back the start time. Sleep deprivation is definitely an aspect of all the PAUSD high school students who felt helpless enough to leave this world.