The Anson County Board of Education approved a tentative calendar for 2627 after trustees and staff debated whether the earlier start date was necessary to maximize instructional days.

Superintendent (speaking during the meeting) defended the earlier start, saying the committee prioritized instructional time: "we are following suit with many, many, many other school districts, in order to do exactly what we need to get done there." Board members discussed adding teacher planning time before marking periods and an October workday to support staff mental health.

A board member asked whether the earlier start reflected a change in law. Committee members and the superintendent said the change was driven by the desire to distribute instructional days more evenly across semesters, not by a specific state directive. One trustee noted a bill has been introduced that would give more local flexibility but had not passed.

The chair called the motion to approve the calendar; Miss Bennett seconded. The board voted in favor and the motion carried. The board chair said the approved calendar is tentative and can be amended: "if we get our hands flat, we'll fix it," and members indicated they would bring back any requested adjustments.

Next steps: the calendar stands as approved for now; any amendments raised by trustees will be returned to the board for formal action.