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Board weighs consistent Friday off, approves 2025–26 calendars for Star Valley and Cokeville
Summary
Trustees debated proposals for a consistent monthly Friday off and reviewed tradeoffs for athletics and instructional hours. After discussion of options and community input, the board approved the 2025–26 alternate calendars for Star Valley and Cokeville schools and directed staff to gather community feedback for future calendar planning.
The Lincoln County School District #2 Board of Trustees reviewed proposed 2025–26 calendars and discussed whether to adopt a consistent monthly Friday off. Trustees heard the calendar committee’s recommendation and voted to approve alternate calendars for Cokeville and for Star Valley for 2025–26.
Why it matters: a regular Friday off would shift the district schedule and reduce instructional hours unless the district compensates by lengthening school days or removing other breaks. Trustees said the change would affect athletics, FFA, music, and other extracurricular schedules that rely on recurring weekend or weekday windows.
Key points from the committee presentation and board discussion: - Jason Horsley presented calendar options, noting calendar B (the committee’s proposal) would start the school year earlier and shift days closer to the winter break to create more Fridays off. The committee analyzed the effect of selecting a recurring Friday in each month and found every choice conflicts with some regional or state competitions at one level or another. - Staff estimated instructional‑time reductions tied to a consistent Friday off: roughly 51 hours lost at elementary, about 53 hours at middle school and high school levels depending on the adjustment; high school also risks falling below 1,000 required instructional hours without schedule changes. - Board members suggested gathering community input before making a long‑term change; options discussed included a public survey accompanied by a short informational video explaining tradeoffs (for example, loss of spring break or reduced instructional hours).
Votes and direction: trustees approved the alternate 2025–26 calendar for Cokeville and separately approved the alternate 2025–26 calendar for Star Valley (second reading/approval). The board asked the administration and calendar committee to design a community outreach plan to gather informed feedback for future calendar decisions.
