School committee approves 2025-26 calendar; early-release Wednesdays retained
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Summary
The Dracut School Committee approved the 2025-26 school calendar, keeping early-release days on Wednesdays with principals rotating specials for equity; staff return Sept. 2 and classes begin Sept. 3.
The Dracut School Committee voted to approve the 2025-26 school calendar after the superintendent presented the draft and principals' input.
Highlights of the calendar include a staff return date of Sept. 2, student classes beginning Sept. 3, a regional professional-development day on Nov. 4, and early-release days retained on Wednesdays. The superintendent said principals recommended keeping Wednesdays as early-release days and would rotate specials and special-education/ELL service schedules to ensure equity so students do not consistently miss the same special class.
Board members asked how the calendar would affect high-school five-day, fixed-block schedules and whether a long C block would lose instruction time. The superintendent said principals can tweak schedules on early-release days to maintain instructional equity and that he supported the principals' recommendation.
The committee approved the calendar by roll call (yes votes recorded from Mr. Shepherd, Dr. Duda and Dr. Shueval and the chair). The superintendent noted last-day scheduling is contingent on snow days and listed June 25, 2026 as the destination date without additional snow make-up days.
