Committee reviews 2025–26 draft calendar; staff propose flexible use of three inclement‑weather days

The Upper Dublin Education Committee on Jan. 8 reviewed a draft 2025–26 instructional calendar and discussed options for handling inclement‑weather days under new Pennsylvania reporting rules.

District staff explained that Pennsylvania school districts can now report instructional time by hours (900 elementary / 990 secondary) or by days; the draft calendar presented met both the hour and day thresholds. Staff recommended holding a 183‑day calendar that includes three built‑in inclement‑weather days that would not be made up for students. If the district does not use those days during the winter, staff proposed shortening the student year by the unused days and announcing an earlier last day of school.

Why it matters: How the district handles inclement‑weather days affects families’ childcare planning, master scheduling and the timing of final exams and graduation events.

Key calendar details discussed - Start and end: School would begin after Labor Day (Sept. 2, 2025) and the draft anticipates the last student day before adjustments (staff noted graduation would be scheduled the Monday before the final student day, e.g., June 8 in the draft). - State requirements: Staff said the draft meets both the 180‑day target and the hour requirements (900 elementary / 990 secondary), giving the district “wiggle room” in the event of weather losses. - Inclement‑weather approach: Staff recommended indicating three inclement‑weather days in the approved calendar; if none or fewer than three are used, the district would publicly announce a revised earlier last day for students. Administrators said a decision on whether to announce an earlier end typically would wait until late winter or March to reduce the chance of weather events after the announcement. - Alternate options: The high school is exploring asynchronous or flexible‑instruction options on large testing days (e.g., Keystone/assessment schedules) so testing windows can count as full instructional days and provide additional schedule flexibility.

Concerns raised in committee Board members asked how the district would pick the date to announce a shortened year, given unpredictable spring weather and occasional non‑snow events (floods, road closures). Committee members also noted family childcare implications if days are removed at the end of school and suggested exploring earlier‑year makeup placements (for example, adjacent to other holidays) or coordination with community child‑care providers. Staff said the March board meeting is a typical point to set calendar adjustments and that the district can use flexible instructional‑day authority when appropriate.

Next steps: Staff will finalize the draft calendar, present any changes at the Jan. 27 legislative meeting, and seek board approval in late January. They also plan to present a two‑year calendar in future cycles to help family planning.