Colleton County school board adopts 2025-26 calendar; tables major facilities-use policy and approves multiple school plans and trips

The Colleton County School District Board of Trustees voted on Jan. 28 to adopt the district—s recommended 2025-26 school calendar, approved two schools' continuous improvement plans, cleared six overnight student field trips and accepted professional-staff recommendations following an executive session. The board also accepted a one-word title change to the district organizational chart (policy CCA) and voted to table a lengthy update to the community-use-of-school-facilities policy (policy KF) for additional review.

Superintendent Williams told the board she recommended "draft 1" of the 2025-26 calendar after a staff survey that opened Dec. 17, 2024, and closed Jan. 6, 2025. Williams said the survey received 443 responses: draft 1 received 311 votes, draft 2 received 118, and draft 3 received 14. She recommended draft 1 because it preserves the current pattern of the 2024-25 year (an early August start with several mid-year breaks). "My recommendation is draft 1," Superintendent Williams said during the presentation.

Trustee Sharon Witkin spoke against the full-week Thanksgiving break included in draft 1, saying the long holiday reduced time available for academic review before major assessments and that the early August start placed the district out of sync with neighboring districts. The board discussed attendance effects of a midweek start and whether starting on a Wednesday would affect first-day counts. After discussion, Trustee Erwin moved to accept draft 1; the motion passed by voice vote with the chair noting the motion carried.

Why it matters: the calendar governs…