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Decatur SD 61 administration recommends two-year calendars, keeps half-day professional development
Summary
District staff recommended the board adopt two-year school calendars for 2025–26 and 2026–27 with half-day professional development; final approval was scheduled for the March 18 meeting.
District staff presented a second read of proposed two-year school calendars at the March 4 Decatur SD 61 board meeting and recommended the board approve calendars for 2025–26 and 2026–27 while retaining half-day professional development (PD) sessions.
Maria Robertson, director of communications and public relations, and Monica Wilkes, director of human resources, presented survey results and calendar adjustments. Robertson said the district received 373 survey responses; 62.7% of respondents identified as certified teachers and 14.5% as teaching assistants. On the question of replacing half-day PD with full days, roughly 48.3% of respondents opposed the change, and among certified teachers the subgroup response was similar (about 47.44% opposed), Robertson said.
Based on that feedback, administrators recommended keeping half-day PDs and moving forward with a two-year calendar that removes the previously proposed third year. The presentation also noted a schedule tweak requested by two union partners: building meetings in the 2025–26 school year will be held on a Monday rather than a Friday; the teacher work day and open house will be Tuesday and the first student day will be Wednesday, Aug. 13. Under the 2025–26 plan, the last day of school would be Tuesday, May 26, immediately after the Memorial Day holiday.
No final vote was taken on March 4; Robertson and Wilkes said the recommendation will go to the board for approval at the board’s March 18 regular meeting.
