The Education Affairs Committee reviewed a proposed 2026–27 school calendar at its Nov. 11 meeting and discussed competing priorities between honoring religious observances and meeting contractual instructional‑hour requirements.

The draft calendar lists Aug. 31, 2026 as the first day of school and June 11 as the last day for students, with 181 student days and 192 days for professional staff — numbers the administration said are designed to meet requirements in the district’s collective bargaining agreement. Chair Mary Jo Smith noted one built‑in makeup day and two additional tentative makeups later in June to ensure the district can reach required instructional hours.

Holiday observances and accommodations: The presentation included a long list of holiday observances (Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, Ramadan and Eid, Lunar New Year, Veterans Day, Juneteenth and others). Following feedback from a community member, the administration said it would shift a May date to account for Ramadan/Eid timing and made clear that families may take excused absences for religious observances that fall on instructional days; testing accommodations would be considered on a case‑by‑case basis.

Parent‑teacher conferences and level differences: The calendar keeps two sets of conferences; elementary students would be off on certain conference days while middle school students might be released early and high school students could remain in session. Board members asked why high school schedules differ and whether the district could make middle and high school conference days uniform; administration said instructional‑hour constraints and senior schedules pose difficulties for equalizing all levels.

Professional development and scheduling tradeoffs: The district plans four professional development days at the start of the year (an increase requested by teachers) and several additional PD days, including a new set of days at the end of June to allow in‑year curriculum work. Administration emphasized the district’s decision to favor full PD days over half‑day PD coupled with half‑day student release, saying that separate full days preserve quality of professional learning.

Public comment and next steps: Residents asked about whether Diwali and Lunar New Year could become days off in future calendars; board members said they would consider forming or reactivating a calendar committee and continue community engagement. Administration said it will bring a revised calendar to the board for approval next month if no major changes are required and will continue to work with community stakeholders on scheduling decisions.

What’s next: The committee scheduled follow‑up conversations and expects the board to consider the proposed 2026–27 calendar at an upcoming full‑board meeting in late November; staff said the 2027–28 calendar is preliminary and will be subject to further committee and community review before final action.