Superintendent reports early talks with city about community education building; calendar committee to meet on 2026 school year

Superintendent Shane told the Delano School Board that the district’s task force for a community education building met with City Administrator Phil Kern to begin exploratory conversations about where district and city needs might converge. Shane said Kern will have “about the next two to four months” of conversations with the city council to gather information and options; the district will also continue work with Gould Architects to fill out planning documents. “Phil's going to take about the next two to four months to have more purposeful conversations with the city council,” Shane said. The superintendent also said the school calendar committee will convene next week to begin drafting the 2026–27 calendar. Board members discussed the state restriction that the district may not start before Sept. 1 for the coming years; staff noted that statute language limits starting the school year earlier than that date in the cited period. Shane said the calendar committee — chaired by Miss Dahlke — may consider multi-year calendar planning because Labor Day timing makes start dates late for the next two school years. He said the committee may survey students and families before proposing a calendar for board review. Ending: The superintendent said more detailed planning and options will return to the board after the city conversations and the architects’ update; no binding decisions were made at the meeting.