Calendars approved for next two years

After a robust conversation around balancing the mental health of students and staff with the needs of families, school board members voted 4-3 to adopt a new early start, early end calendar beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. The goal of the calendar is to address social and emotional concerns of students and staff by aligning the end of quarters with natural breaks. The calendar also builds in more time for staff development and teacher collaboration, with a goal of strengthening instruction to improve achievement.

The calendar will start the school year a week earlier in August and align the end of quarters with natural breaks. The calendar continues to provide a staggered start for students, with the first days of school on Aug. 18 for grades 6 and 9, Aug. 19 for grades 7-8, 10-12 and Aug. 21 for grades K-5. The last day of school will be May 22 - just before the Memorial Day weekend. 

Board members agreed to try the calendar out for a couple of years to see if it has an impact on mental health outcomes and academic achievement. District administrators will measure the results through staff and student surveys and analysis of data.

2024-2025 calendar also approved

The board also approved a calendar for next year, which is similar to the current year. The 2024-2025 calendar also features the staggered start with the first days of school on Aug. 26 for grades 6 and 9, Aug. 27 for grades 7-8, 10-12 and Sept. 3 for K-5. The last day of school will be June 3.