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Board adopts Rising Early Learning Center calendar returning to five-day weeks and adding monthly in‑service Fridays
Summary
The Phoenix-Talent School District board approved the 2025–26 Rising Early Learning Center calendar, restoring a five-day week, aligning the center with the district calendar, and adding an in‑service Friday each month; the calendar provides roughly 948 instructional hours, above the 900-hour minimum cited.
The Phoenix-Talent School District Board of Directors approved the Rising Early Learning Center 2025–26 calendar, returning the center to a five-day instructional week and adding one in-service Friday each month.
Kelly Soder, representing the Rising Early Learning Center, told the board the calendar aligns the center with the district’s calendar so the center will be closed whenever the district closes and that the additional Fridays will be used for early-childhood in-service. She said the change restores most Fridays as instructional days after the center had operated a four-day week earlier in the year.
District staff explained the calendar meets the program’s minimum hours requirement and includes a buffer for weather or staff-absence closures. As stated on the record, “there is, 900 hours is the minimum number of hours required for the early learning program,” and staff said the calendar as adopted would deliver about 948 hours in total. Staff also said makeup days at the end of the year were included as a buffer so the district would not need to scramble if weather or staffing required closures.
Board members asked about family communication and how the schedule change would be shared; staff said the calendar would be advertised to families and that the program provided childcare on some Fridays when the center previously operated a four-day week. Board members also confirmed staff had consulted center employees and that the staff supports the calendar.
The board voted to approve the calendar by roll call. Rebecca, Sarah, Rick and Dawn recorded “yes” votes and the presiding member also voted yes.
Why it matters: restoring a five-day schedule affects families’ childcare planning and program enrollment and increases instructional hours for enrolled children. Staff said aligning the center with the district calendar reduces confusion created by prior mismatches between district and center schedules.
Sources: presenter statements, staff responses and board roll-call vote recorded in the meeting minutes.
