The Cleveland County Board of Education voted 5–4 on Nov. 10 to adopt an earlier-start 2026–27 school calendar (Option A), choosing alignment with Cleveland Community College over concerns about compliance with state calendar statutes.

Chairman Shores, summarizing parent and staff feedback, said the district’s outreach showed “96% of you want a semester that ends before Christmas break,” and argued that the alignment preserves dual-enrollment and career-technical opportunities for students. Board member Kenneth Bridges, who supported Option A, said he had wrestled with the legality but would “take the risk” for students to preserve access to college classes and save families money.

Trustees who opposed Option A cited statutory integrity and the risk of state action. At least one board member raised the potential for penalties under state law before withdrawing a specific fine amount when asked for citation. Board counsel advised that complex legal questions about interaction between state statute and court rulings could warrant closed-session advice and that the board could consult counsel further.

The debate touched on past court orders (Leandro-related rulings) and on practical classroom effects: proponents said an earlier start protects concurrent-enrollment classes, campus collaboration and CTE enrollment; opponents warned that misaligned calendars can reduce instructional days in some semesters and complicate course pacing.

The motion to adopt Option A passed 5–4. The board signaled it will continue advocacy with state legislators for calendar flexibility and said administrators will proceed with operational planning keyed to the new calendar.