Dr. Mitchell presented two draft school-calendar options for the 2025–26 school year at a Littlestown Area SD committee meeting, prompting discussion about adding traditional snow days, moving the start to midweek in August and designating the Monday after Thanksgiving as a half day.

Committee members said the choices affect families’ childcare plans, teacher planning time and graduation timing, and asked staff to revise calendars to reflect those priorities before the committee takes further action.

Dr. Mitchell described the presented “traditional” option as a conventional academic calendar that begins in the third week of August, builds in in-service days for staff training and schedules graduation in May. "What this calendar does for us overall is it provides for us breaks during the school year. It meets our hours that we need to provide for our students' instruction that are required by state law, and it also provides graduation in May," Dr. Mitchell said. He told the committee the draft lists 175.5 student days and 186 contracted teacher days and includes an Act 80 day at the end of the year for staff to close out the year and honor retirees.

Parents and committee members pushed for changes. "I would like to see 2 if we can. But at least in 1, I would like to really again, I don't know how this all works with the hours," said Mrs. Ressler, who urged restoring at least one traditional snow day so students and teachers would have a full day off rather than remote assignments. She also asked the district to consider starting the year midweek, rather than on a Thursday, and to move toward aligning with neighboring districts on days off that fall near local events and hunting seasons.

Dr. Mitchell noted a key constraint in planning: the current teacher contract, which he said runs through 2029 and requires payment for 186 contract days. "Our current teachers contract that goes through 2029 requires or has us paying teachers for a hundred and 86 days," he said, explaining that how makeup days or remote snow days are handled affects teacher pay and scheduling. He said he has contacted neighboring superintendents to learn how those districts manage snow days and makeup policy and offered to return with calendars that incorporate the committee’s stated priorities.

Committee discussion included several alternatives: keeping at least one “traditional” snow day (a full day off for students), designating specific makeup days later in the calendar, converting some days to Act 80 (staff development) days, and shifting the August start to an earlier midweek date to create buffer days for weather makeups. Members also weighed equity and childcare impacts: some argued that remote-learning snow days pose difficulties for working families and caregivers who may not be able to supervise online assignments.

No formal vote was taken during the discussion. Dr. Mitchell said he would revise the draft calendars to reflect the committee’s priorities — the Monday-after-Thanksgiving half day, at least one traditional snow day with listed makeup dates later in the year, and a midweek start option — and bring updated options back to the committee for further consideration.

The committee did not set a final calendar or take a formal vote; staff will prepare revised calendar options that incorporate the items the committee prioritized and return with those options for future action.