Perkiomen Valley board debates two draft 2026–27 calendars; administration to survey staff and families
October 17, 2025 | Perkiomen Valley SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania
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District administrators presented two draft 2026–27 calendars to the Education Committee and outlined tradeoffs between a traditional start the week before Labor Day and a version that would begin earlier in August to allow an earlier end in June.
The drafts both include a proposal to add a third Act 80 day (an Act 80 exception relieves districts from meeting the 180-day requirement and instead meets hours requirements) and to eliminate three half days. Administrators said elementary students would still meet required hours (more than 900) and secondary students would exceed 1,000 hours under the calendars presented.
Board members asked how start dates would affect athletics and marching-band schedules. Administrators said they had consulted athletics staff: heat-acclimation for football would start the week of Aug. 10, with full-day camp the week of Aug. 17 and one-a-day afternoon practices beginning the week of Aug. 24 in the earlier-start draft. Mr. Felty and Mr. Oberholtzer provided input during the conversation about practice schedules.
Members discussed whether the district should retain the Friday before Labor Day as a student holiday. Several board members argued eliminating that holiday could produce an earlier continuous first full week and a smoother start for instruction; others noted the impact on families and long-standing expectations. Administrators said every calendar configuration still includes built-in inclement‑weather days and FID (flex/intentional days) days that affect when the last day of school falls.
Questions also covered Thanksgiving-week scheduling, which the administration said typically contains two in-service days for teachers and had historically been used for parent-teacher conferences; moving those days would not change the required number of staff in-service days but could change family childcare impacts.
Administration recommended surveying staff and parents about the earlier-start option, the third Act 80 day, and the removal of half days; the committee asked administrators to consult with the teachers association and return with survey results and a recommendation.
The drafts both include a proposal to add a third Act 80 day (an Act 80 exception relieves districts from meeting the 180-day requirement and instead meets hours requirements) and to eliminate three half days. Administrators said elementary students would still meet required hours (more than 900) and secondary students would exceed 1,000 hours under the calendars presented.
Board members asked how start dates would affect athletics and marching-band schedules. Administrators said they had consulted athletics staff: heat-acclimation for football would start the week of Aug. 10, with full-day camp the week of Aug. 17 and one-a-day afternoon practices beginning the week of Aug. 24 in the earlier-start draft. Mr. Felty and Mr. Oberholtzer provided input during the conversation about practice schedules.
Members discussed whether the district should retain the Friday before Labor Day as a student holiday. Several board members argued eliminating that holiday could produce an earlier continuous first full week and a smoother start for instruction; others noted the impact on families and long-standing expectations. Administrators said every calendar configuration still includes built-in inclement‑weather days and FID (flex/intentional days) days that affect when the last day of school falls.
Questions also covered Thanksgiving-week scheduling, which the administration said typically contains two in-service days for teachers and had historically been used for parent-teacher conferences; moving those days would not change the required number of staff in-service days but could change family childcare impacts.
Administration recommended surveying staff and parents about the earlier-start option, the third Act 80 day, and the removal of half days; the committee asked administrators to consult with the teachers association and return with survey results and a recommendation.
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