Sherman ISD reviews draft 2025–26 academic calendar; board seeks clearer monthly budget and construction timing

Miss Pesina presented the Sherman Independent School District draft academic calendar for the 2025–26 school year and reviewed the site‑based committee process that shaped it. The calendar keeps the first day of school on Aug. 13, schedules staff to report Aug. 4, preserves alignment with Grayson College for spring break, and maintains the district requirement of 75,600 instructional minutes and a 187‑day work year for staff.

The draft grew from work by a site‑based committee of parents, teachers, campus and district administrators and instructional coaches that developed a set of options and brought two calendars forward for broader community input. Pesina said the committee considered multiple factors including state testing windows, staff professional learning and dual‑credit alignment. "We always have to adhere to those 75,600 minutes for the school year," Pesina said.

Why it matters: calendar decisions affect classroom instruction, required professional learning time and operations during major construction projects. Trustees asked how the calendar will provide more embedded planning days, how the district will support new teachers, and whether construction timelines will affect drop‑off and pickup logistics.

Key details from the presentation and board discussion: - The district surveyed parents, staff and some students; respondents favored a later spring break, but Pesina said the district must match Grayson College for dual‑credit programs and cannot move spring break. "We do mirror Grayson College because of our students that are in dual credit," Pesina said. - The committee recommended more embedded planning and professional learning days, and the calendar includes an extended week in July for differentiated onboarding so new teachers receive more days than experienced staff. - Staff will report Aug. 4; the first day of student attendance is Aug. 13. - The calendar keeps two bank days in June for make‑up days and schedules graduation prior to Memorial Day. - Trustees pressed for clearer lists of who served on site‑based committees. Pesina said each campus had representation and the committee included teachers, counselors and administrators; she did not confirm student membership and said she would check the roster. - Trustees asked that the district communicate clearly which dates are professional learning days versus teacher work days so campus expectations are clear. - Trustees also raised construction readiness concerns (site drives, pickup/dropoff areas) and sought coordination between the calendar and construction schedules so student arrival and dismissal are safe and operational.

Next steps: The site‑based team will finalize which days will be designated as professional learning versus work days and return a recommended calendar for board approval. Board members asked staff to clarify committee membership and the district's communication plan to campuses once the schedule is finalized.

The presentation did not include a formal vote.