Quarry County BOE acknowledges first reading of 2025-26 school calendar, returns for second reading next week

Superintendent Crawford told the Quarry County Board of Education on Feb. 25 that the district will move back to a traditional calendar for the 2025-26 school year, with 170 instructional days, four professional-development days and five planning days; the board acknowledged a first reading and the superintendent said he will present a second reading next week.

The calendar draft shifts the start back to the first week of August, schedules fall break for the first full week in October and spring break for the first full week in April, and reserves a two-week winter break around Christmas. Crawford said the change aims to avoid running late into June after a year in which the district missed “10 MTI days plus 10 additional days.”

Board members also discussed how state-level proposals about virtual learning days (NTI/DTI) could affect the calendar. Crawford said a bill in the legislature and proposals from Commissioner of Education Robert Fletcher could change how many virtual days districts may use and whether extra minutes must be added to each school day to ``forgive'' those days; the transcript records the board seeking clarity on whether an additional 25 minutes per day would be mandatory to receive forgiveness for up to five days.

No final vote was taken on the calendar at the Feb. 25 meeting. The board acknowledged the first reading and scheduled a second reading for the next meeting, per Superintendent Crawford.