Savannah-Chatham board adopts 2025-26 school calendar after debate over remote learning and make-up days

The Savannah-Chatham County Board of Public Education on Feb. 5 approved the district's academic calendar for the 2025'26 school year after prolonged debate over remote learning days, where to place make-up days and how to treat the final staff planning day for teachers.

The vote at the Whitney Building followed more than an hour of discussion among board members and Superintendent Denise Watts about the trade-offs between preserving 180 instructional days and using remote or waiver options to handle weather-related and other closures.

Board members said the calendar keeps the district at 180 instructional days while adding 10 staff planning days, five pre-planning days, two post-planning days and several designated remote learning days, including one in November…