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Poudre School District board hears first reading of 2026–27 school-year calendar; staff propose Aug. 19 student start
Summary
Calendar committee presented Version 1 of the 2026–27 school-year calendar: staff start Aug. 10, transition day Aug. 18, students start Aug. 19. Committee said changes respond to heat-release concerns and must preserve a 360-hour first semester for funding compliance.
The Poudre School District Board of Education received a first reading Tuesday of the proposed 2026–27 school-year calendar, which the calendar committee recommended as Version 1.
Cheryl Day and Brian Kiel, co-chairs of the calendar committee, told the board the committee worked within Colorado Department of Education (CDE) rules and the district employee agreement to balance a later student start with required instructional hours. "When we were calculating minutes and hours, it's based on current minutes and hours within the school day," one presenter said, noting the committee assumed no change in CDE instructional-minute requirements for the analysis.
Under the recommended calendar, district staff would begin Aug. 10, with a transition day on Aug. 18 and students starting on Aug. 19. The proposal preserves a five-day fall break and a two-week winter break; the first semester would end Dec. 18 and the last day of school would be May 28. The committee said clustering building workdays early in the year reduces heat impacts and gives staff time for professional learning.
The committee emphasized funding constraints: to be in compliance it must meet at least 1,080 total hours per school year and, for funding purposes, 360 hours in the first semester. The presenters noted early childhood programs have higher minimum-hour requirements, and that changing weekly hours can affect reimbursement. The committee said that difference in early-childhood reimbursement tied to offering longer weekly schedules is about $1,200 per pupil.
Board members asked about snow or heat-day risk. District staff and IT representatives said CDE’s minimum-hour calculation includes a buffer to accommodate heat-release and typical snow days; the committee said second semester has more wiggle room if days are lost.
Next steps: the calendar returns for another board review in December, after which the board will set a final approval date and communications will publish the adopted calendar. HR staff will develop staff-specific calendars in the spring.
