Dr. Smith presented a draft 2026–27 academic calendar framed by Act 56 of 2023, which allows districts to meet either 180 student days or required instructional minutes. The proposed calendar keeps 183 built-in student days to preserve inclement-weather flexibility and moves professional development days off the official student-day count (PD days will not count as student days).

The most notable change is a recommendation to start school before Labor Day. Administrators said many neighboring districts already plan starts before Labor Day and that an earlier start can avoid students having one fewer week of instruction before state testing. The draft also shifts some traditional half days during fall conferences into full professional development days (students off) while keeping staff PD requirements (189 staff days by contract) in mind.

Board questions and concerns: Committee members raised practical concerns about childcare and family scheduling for full weeks off (Dr. Thomas), requested options that shift PD days to preserve longer family breaks, and encouraged multi-year calendar planning to aid family vacation planning. Administrators said contracting and instructional quality were driving decisions about PD timing and that changes could be modeled to compare starting before or after Labor Day.

Next steps: The administration will gather more feedback from internal and external stakeholders (IPD, UDA, leadership networks) and bring a refined proposal to legislative; the board signaled the item could be a discussion item rather than immediate approval to allow broader feedback.