Portland Public Schools presents draft 2025–26 calendar, proposes Yom Kippur and Eid as paid holidays

Sarah Warren, senior executive director for strategy for Portland Public Schools, presented a draft 2025–26 school-year calendar at a board workshop, proposing to add Yom Kippur and the first day of Eid al‑Fitr as recognized holidays and to begin the student year on Sept. 2.

“This is something that the board is required to do each year, both by state law and by our own policy, policy ICA,” Warren said, framing the calendar as a required annual action that must meet the state’s minimum instructional‑day requirements.

Warren said the district estimates adding each of the two religious holidays would cost about $65,000, because the days would become paid holidays for a subset of hourly, school‑year employees and certain EdTech staff. “It would cost, we estimate, about $65,000 for each of those days, to add the holidays,” Warren said.

Key features Warren reviewed include a two‑week (10 school‑day) winter break, a student start date of Sept. 2 (the day after Labor Day), and four teacher workdays the week before school begins for professional learning and preparation. Pre‑K and kindergarten students are proposed to start Sept. 3. Warren noted that EdTech staff would begin one day later under their contracts.

Warren also outlined how the calendar treats storm makeup days and the tentative last day of school. The draft lists a tentative last student day of June 15 if no storm days are needed; one storm day would move the last day to June 16, two to June 17 and three to June 18, with teachers’ final workday the following day. Warren said the district will confirm the final dates if additional storm days are required.

On timing of the proposed Eid holiday, Warren said the district would follow community religious leaders’ determination based on moon sighting. “Assuming that it starts on the twentieth, or the night of the nineteenth and into the twentieth, we would recognize the Eid holiday on the twentieth,” she said; if community leaders declare an earlier start, the district would adjust which date it recognizes.

Board member Lena asked whether the holiday costs were driven by paid time for hourly school‑year employees and EdTech staff. Warren confirmed they were, saying the days are not currently recognized as paid holidays for those groups and would therefore require payroll coverage.

Lena also asked why pre‑K and kindergarten historically started on a Thursday and whether the proposal to start them Wednesday was informed by teachers’ input. Warren said she did not know the historical reason and acknowledged the change could be discussed further. Other board members raised transportation and preparation as considerations in prior years.

Warren said the draft also proposes a district office closure during a week that spans late June into July and clarified language in the calendar to reflect contractually required teacher workdays at both the beginning and end of the year. She said the board will have a second read and a vote on April 8.

The workshop did not produce a formal vote; Warren said the board would return to the calendar for action at the scheduled meeting. The draft calendar and cost estimates will be available to board members and the public ahead of the April 8 vote.