Hiawatha board approves amended 2025–26 school calendar with new training days before Thanksgiving

The Hiawatha School Board voted to adopt an amended 2025–26 school calendar that removes an inadvertently listed August 4 enrollment date, converts Nov. 12 from an early dismissal to a full instructional day, and schedules two consecutive training days the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

Board staff said the August date was left on the calendar in error and will instead be treated as a general calendar day. Staff told the board that the consecutive Monday–Tuesday before Thanksgiving are needed to provide a two-day staff training model for a program called "Capturing Kids' Hearts" and other professional development the district plans to offer.

At the meeting staff said many new families enroll online and that an in-person, widely advertised schedule of building open houses during summer will give families better, more personalized support than the single enrollment date that appeared on the previous calendar.

Officials also explained that the Nov. 12 change came after a vendor adjusted training schedules, requiring a full day rather than an early dismissal to host a trainer the district uses. Staff said the calendar, as updated, still keeps the district within required instructional-hour totals but warned that additional weather-related closures could force makeup days if the district again experiences a winter like last year.

The board reviewed the calendar notes and asked staff to advertise the revised schedule this week and to post additional enrollment dates as they are finalized in July. No formal public comment was recorded on the calendar item.