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Board adopts revised 2025–26 school calendar, designating contingency give‑back day if snow days unused
Summary
Trustees approved an amended 2025–26 calendar after staff found a counting error and presented three options; the board accepted the middle option to add one instructional day and designate a contingency give‑back day (May 26) if snow days go unused, with a plan to finalize details at the July meeting.
The Locust Valley Board of Education voted Tuesday to adopt a revised 2025–26 district calendar after administrators identified a counting error in the originally approved calendar and presented three options for how to account for instructional days and snow‑day contingencies.
Why it matters: New York State requires school districts to meet a minimum instructional‑day threshold. The board and administration debated how to treat unused snow days and whether to switch to remote instruction after one or two closures.
What administrators presented: Ken, a district administrator, explained that the approved calendar inadvertently produced 181 instructional days (plus one built‑in snow day) instead of the district’s intended 182‑day schedule with two built‑in snow days. New York requires a minimum of 180 days, and the district traditionally includes two snow days and two superintendent conference days.
Three options Ken outlined were: (1) add a day of school (commonly the Friday before Memorial Day) to reach 182 days; (2) schedule 182 days and designate in advance that May 26 will be returned to families if both snow days are unused; or (3) follow a model like another district where, after one snow day, the district switches to remote instruction and that guarantees certain give‑back dates. Trustees discussed pros and cons — including equity concerns about remote learning access for younger students — and favored the second option.
Board action: The board approved the middle option (option 2) to adopt the revised calendar that adds an instructional day and designates May 26 as a contingency give‑back day if both built‑in snow days are unused. Administration will return at the July 8 reorganizational meeting with a slightly revised version if further changes are needed.
Remote‑instruction contingency: Ken noted that district safety plans require an emergency remote‑instruction plan; if closures exceed the district’s built‑in snow days, the district would pivot to remote instruction consistent with that plan. Trustees and administrators discussed that remote instruction carries practical difficulties, especially for elementary grades where home device access is limited.
Vote and next steps: The motion to adopt the revised 2025–26 calendar passed unanimously. Administration will finalize calendar language and, if necessary, present an updated calendar at the July meeting.
Attribution: Explanatory details and calendar counting came from Ken (district administrator); trustees commenting include Margaret Marchand and other board members who asked clarifying questions about instructional minutes and testing calendars.
Background: The board has historically not returned unused snow days to families; this adoption moves to designate a specific give‑back day if snow days are not used in 2025–26.
