Pleasant Valley board moves last day of 2025–26 school year to Friday, June 5

The Pleasant Valley Community School District Board of Directors voted unanimously Monday to adjust the 2025–26 school calendar so the last instructional day will be Friday, June 5, 2026.

The change, approved by roll call after discussion of makeup days and the district’s desire to avoid ending the school year on a Monday, was proposed by the superintendent and seconded from the board. The motion passed on a roll call in which Mrs. Wheeler, Dr. Wagle, Mrs. Kunkel, Mr. Kamwisher, Mr. Ayers and Mrs. Brockman all voted yes.

Superintendent Mr. Strues explained the rationale for the adjustment and the makeup-day mechanics, noting the district’s start and makeup constraints. “We are set to start on Monday, August 25. That’s the soonest we can start by legislation,” he told the board as he reviewed the 2025–26 calendar and a multi‑year pattern through 2029. He described the district’s standard February makeup day (February 6 on the proposed calendar) and said the district would preserve opportunities to convert scheduled early‑release days into full days near the end of the year to recover lost instruction time.

Board members discussed tradeoffs between keeping a 180‑day instructional calendar and avoiding ending in early June on a Monday. Several directors and staff said teachers prefer retaining the 180‑day schedule for instructional time and professional collaboration; others and some community members expressed concern about the disruption of late‑June end dates for families and summer programs. The board considered options including using an extra full day in early June in place of an early release and shifting which Fridays are used for early release in the longer term.

During the discussion the board noted that under the proposed adjustment the 2025–26 calendar would effectively be a 179‑day instructional schedule in one configuration but still exceed the statutory minimum of hours; Mr. Strues emphasized that the district would remain above required minimum instructional hours even if the count altered between 179 and 180 days in particular years.

The board directed administration to post the revised calendar online and notify families and staff; Business/Communications staff member Debbie was asked to publish the change so families could begin planning for the adjusted last day. The superintendent said the district will continue conversation with staff and community about multi‑year calendar patterns and early‑release timing.

Board members signaled interest in returning to calendar design with staff input in the fall and in reviewing the multi‑year pattern when drafting future calendars.