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Johnston County board adopts one-year school calendar after debate over 13-week summer
Summary
After community survey input and lengthy discussion, the board approved a one-year school calendar (option C) rather than a two-year adoption, citing the need to review academic impacts before committing to multiple years.
The Johnston County Board of Education voted 6-1 to adopt a one-year school calendar for 2025-26 rather than lock in a two-year schedule, following recommendation from the calendar committee and public feedback.
Calendar committee members had reviewed 19 draft calendars, narrowed them to three options, and the community survey favored "option C." That option shifts spring break to after Easter and includes a compressed summer model tied to recent legislative debate. The committee originally recommended a two-year adoption to give families certainty about start and end dates; board members, however, expressed concern about committing multi-year without data on learning effects.
Board members debated instructional time, training/workday allocations for staff, and concerns about a 13-week summer break. Several members warned the longer summer could increase reading and math learning loss, noted operational strains for summer feeding sites and transportation, and requested the district monitor outcomes closely. The board asked staff to return in the fall with data to assess any learning impacts before considering multi-year adoption.
A motion to approve the one-year calendar was made and seconded; the motion passed 6-1. The board also instructed staff to ensure early communication to families and principals about the adopted calendar and to collect midyear and end-of-year data to inform any future changes.
