School committee approves 2025–26 calendar after debate over half‑day professional development schedule

The Norton School Committee voted April 30 to approve the 2025–26 school calendar, keeping the district’s planned professional-development (PD) structure that includes seven half days and three early-release days.

Superintendent O'Neil presented the revised calendar and a professional-development sketch explaining staff training priorities. The proposal keeps an August staff welcome and a district-wide PD day on Aug. 27; it preserves early-release PD days on Sept. 24 and Oct. 29 and adds two half PD days in March (Wednesday the 4th and the 18th). Elementary parent conferences include an early release on March 26. The final PD day of the year is proposed for May 20; the record states staff will be present a full day in June to complete year-end tasks.

Committee members asked a range of questions about the calendar, including how pre-K half-day schedules would be handled and whether the union reviews the calendar drafts. One member raised concerns that “10 and a half days is a huge pain” for families and suggested the community is being disserved by frequent half days; another member defended the PD schedule, noting that surrounding districts use similar approaches and that PD supports curriculum rollout and teacher preparation. A committee member noted that the state requires lunch service rules in certain circumstances and the administration said it would double-check lunch-service compliance on half days.

After discussion the committee approved the calendar by voice vote; the meeting record indicates a 4–1 outcome on the motion. The administration said it will share final schedules for PD content once determined and that principals will present school improvement plans in the fall.