Parents propose alternative 2027–28 Mesa school calendar; board to survey community

Two parent co‑facilitators of Mesa Public Schools’ alternative calendar design team presented a non‑standard 2027–28 calendar to the governing board on Wednesday and asked the board to allow the community to compare the alternative with the traditional schedule in a public survey.

The committee’s proposal would start school on Wednesday, July 28, include a single week fall break, a full week off for Thanksgiving (rather than two partial days), two weeks for winter break and two weeks for spring break, and schedule a professional development day for teachers on the Monday after Easter. The design team said those decisions were driven by research on absenteeism and by stakeholder input.

"When we looked into the data of absenteeism, we saw that two of the highest absentee days are the two days before Thanksgiving. Instead of giving two back‑to‑back days off in the fall... we gave an entire week of Thanksgiving break," presenter Emily Allen said. The team said the calendar would preserve the required 180 instructional days while shifting how breaks are distributed.

Board members asked about potential effects on AP course pacing, state testing windows and pay periods for classified staff. Administration said the number of paid days would not change if the calendar were adopted, but the timing and number of paychecks during the school year versus summer could shift; the district pledged to educate staff about payment changes and to consult bargaining partners if needed.

The board agreed to let administration circulate a two‑option survey to families, staff and community members so voters can compare the traditional and alternative calendars and provide feedback before any final recommendation to the board late this year.