Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Calendar topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rockingham County Schools weigh two calendar options; district to open two-week public survey
Summary
Board members discussed two proposed 168-day calendars: an "unbalanced" model with exams before Christmas and a traditional 84/84 split. Dr. Perkins said the district will post both calendars and open a two-week survey for community feedback before a Jan. work session.
Dr. Perkins presented two draft school-calendar options and asked the Rockingham County Schools board to solicit public feedback before the board’s upcoming work session.
The district is offering a choice between an "unbalanced" calendar in which the fall semester would be shorter and exams occur before the Christmas break, and a more traditional calendar that splits the year evenly and schedules exams after winter break. "The first option is a calendar that has exams completed prior to the Christmas break," Dr. Perkins said, adding that both calendars total 168 days but distribute instructional and work days differently.
Why it matters: the options change when students test, the number of staff development days in the fall and spring, and the timing of the last student day. Dr. Perkins warned that Option 1’s fall semester would effectively have fewer instructional days (he described the fall as 80 days and the spring as 88 days in one illustration) and that moving work days into the fall could reduce instructional time.
Board members raised practical concerns. Philip Butler said getting exams done before Christmas is popular until families see that the last student day could fall the week of Dec. 22. Other members asked whether the proposed break weeks would align with local higher-education schedules; Dr. Perkins said the district had not yet received the community college calendar but would check with Rockingham Community College and update the board.
Next steps: Dr. Perkins said the district will post both calendar options and an online survey the following day, allow a two-week public-comment window, and present survey results at the Jan. 26 work session. "We'll bring back that feedback to you all with the work session, and we will review that," he said. The board did not vote on a final calendar at this meeting.
The district also plans a staff webinar and a short explanatory video to accompany the survey. Board members asked staff to ensure the survey allows respondents to identify their grade level so the district can disaggregate responses by elementary, middle and high school stakeholders.
