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Ralston board debates two calendar drafts, weighing balanced semesters vs. extended Christmas break
Summary
The board discussed two calendar drafts for 2026-27 and 2027-28: version 1 balances semester days (preferred by some high-school staff); version 2 offers an extended Christmas break but raised concerns about student food security, childcare and stacked professional-development days. Administrators will survey the board and return with a refined recommendation.
Board members spent substantial time reviewing two draft academic calendars for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years.
Administration presented "version 1," which preserves greater equality between first and second semester instructional days (a preference cited by high-school staff), and "version 2," which delivers a longer, two-week Christmas break but creates a semester-day imbalance.
"I like version 1 better...there—s more equality in the breakdown of semesters," one board member said, citing high-school instructional continuity. Others said version 2—s longer Christmas break would be attractive to families but raised logistical concerns: food security for students who rely on school meals, childcare needs during long breaks, and the clustering of professional-learning days into four-day weekends that sometimes encourage staff to extend vacations.
Administrators proposed sending a board survey, reviewing staff/parent feedback already collected, and potentially offering a two-year rolling calendar in future years so families have more lead time for planning. The board directed administration to prepare a survey of board preferences and to bring a refined recommendation at a subsequent meeting.
No calendar was adopted at the meeting; the board indicated it prefers to collect additional input and finalize choices during the November/December meeting period.
