Pennridge administrators present draft 2025–26 school calendar with Aug. 25 start and 181 student days

Dr. Palmer presented the Pennridge School District draft 2025–26 calendar, saying the first day for students would be Aug. 25, which would start the year before Labor Day. The draft lists 181 student days and 11 staff in‑service days.

The draft places the winter break beginning Dec. 24 with schools closed Dec. 25 and planned returns after break on Jan. 5. The calendar proposes that spring break fall at the beginning of April and that the last student day would be June 9, giving the district 181 student days total—“the same as this year,” Dr. Palmer said—and adds one in‑service day in May timed to the primary election.

Administrators noted scheduled half days for students on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Dec. 23 (the day before winter break), April 2 (the day before spring break), and on the final student day, June 9. The presenter said the district has aligned these dates with two sending districts so the calendars are “pretty in sync” and noted a minor difference in which dates other districts use for in‑service days.

Board members asked about the December schedule and why some recent years included a different pattern of half days and full days; Dr. Palmer explained the district sought to avoid pushing the last day deep into June and that returning on Jan. 2 versus Jan. 5 was part of that scheduling tradeoff. A board member also raised Diwali observance; administrators confirmed the district has an in‑service day scheduled around the October date mentioned and said they would verify the exact calendar day.

The presenter said holiday observances in September and October for Jewish holidays were accounted for, and the draft keeps the President’s Day holiday in mid‑February with a non‑school day on Feb. 13 in the draft. No formal action was recorded on the calendar in the transcript.

The presentation concluded with the board moving on to the next agenda item, a graduation proposal.