Board reviews draft 2025–26 calendar; schedules vote on student representative at next meeting

Wythe County School Board members reviewed a fourth draft of the 2025–26 school calendar and agreed to place a discussion and possible vote on adding a student board representative on the next meeting’s action agenda.

Director of Curriculum Dr. James said the calendar committee ran an annual survey that drew about 291 responses, representing teachers, administrators and support staff. The committee used survey feedback and academic pacing requirements to draft a calendar that aims for roughly 80–90 days in each semester. Based on the committee’s counting, the draft includes about 89 days in semester one and about 96 days in semester two when built-in weather makeup days are counted. The proposed start date in mid-August (around Aug. 12) was reached by counting backward from target end-of-semester dates and accounting for holidays.

Why it matters: the calendar sets instruction pacing, parent–teacher conferences and makeup-day policies that affect families and staff.

Key calendar choices The draft restores at least one parent–teacher conference after the first grading quarter and schedules a second conference period in March between quarters three and four. For inclement-weather make-up days the committee reported a preference among school representatives to use two-for-one make-up days taken from spring break rather than adding days at the end of June.

Student representative motion Board member Manley moved that the board add discussion/vote on a student representative to the school board to the next meeting’s action items; the motion received a second and passed by oral vote.

What’s next The calendar draft will be returned to the committee if the board raises concerns, and the board reserved a date to reconvene the committee if further work is needed. Final adoption will proceed through the standard notice and adoption steps after public input.