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Holmen board to consider resolution to allow school start as early as Aug. 24 to align with private schools and cut transport costs
Summary
District leaders brought a draft resolution asking the board to request a Department of Public Instruction waiver to permit the 2026–27 school year to begin as early as Aug. 24 to better align transportation and services with private schools; the resolution will appear on the Oct. 27 consent agenda for board action.
Holmen School District administrators presented a proposed resolution to allow the district to begin the 2026–27 school year as early as Aug. 24, 2026, and said they will submit a waiver request to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) if the board approves the resolution at its Oct. 27 meeting.
The district said the waiver is intended to better align Holmen's start date with the earlier calendars of several private schools the district serves and to improve transportation efficiency. The presentation listed the private schools that the district provides transportation to and for which alignment was a stated reason for the request: Luther (Lutheran school), St. Patrick, St. Paul's and Great River Montessori. Administrators said annual DPI approval is required for calendar modifications tied to private‑school transportation and that the waiver would permit a start date on or after Aug. 24 but before the statutory Sept. 1 date.
Why it matters: District staff said earlier starts reduce duplicative bus runs and provide flexibility for driver assignments, which officials described as a recruitment and retention and fiscal efficiency concern. The presenter noted other nearby districts (La Crosse, Onalaska, West Salem) already plan earlier starts and said alignment can help families and shared staff.
Board questions focused on process, fiscal impact, and communications. Board members asked whether the waiver must be requested annually (staff said yes), whether DPI typically approves these requests (staff said most similar requests have been accepted) and how the district would communicate calendar changes to families if the waiver and calendars are approved. A board member asked whether the district could estimate dollars saved; staff said precise savings would be difficult to calculate but that aligning routes reduces redundant drives and staffing pressure.
Next steps: The resolution will be placed on the Oct. 27 consent agenda for a formal board vote; if approved the district will submit the waiver to DPI and then present a draft calendar for board approval.
