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Rockingham County Schools consider two 168‑day calendars; one would move high‑school exams before Christmas
Summary
The Rockingham County Schools board reviewed two 168‑day calendar options: an unbalanced plan that would finish semester exams before Christmas and a traditional balanced plan with exams after winter break. Staff will post both calendars for a two‑week public comment period and hold a staff webinar on Jan. 21.
The Rockingham County Schools board reviewed two proposed academic calendars on a decision memo presented by Dr. Perkins, who told the board both options contain 168 student days but differ in how those days are distributed.
Dr. Perkins said one option is unbalanced — an 80‑day fall semester and an 88‑day spring semester — designed to allow end‑of‑semester exams to be completed before the Christmas break. "Option 2 is a more traditional calendar that resembles the current year calendar that we have," Dr. Perkins said, describing the alternative as an 84/84 split with exams after winter break.
The superintendent's staff noted the district must comply with the state's calendar law governing the first student day (the Monday closest to Aug. 26) and the last student day (the Friday closest to June 11). Dr. Perkins flagged operational tradeoffs: an unbalanced calendar reduces fall instructional days available for staff development and compresses teacher work days, while a balanced calendar provides multiple workdays and more regular spacing for professional development.
Board members asked several practical questions: whether the district had consulted local colleges (RCC), how spring break would align for families, and whether the survey would capture respondents' grade‑level perspective. Dr. Perkins said the district will post both calendar options the next day, open a two‑week window for public feedback through an online survey (with a field to capture grade level), and host a staff webinar on Jan. 21 to answer questions from teachers and staff.
Dr. Perkins also noted timing and implementation specifics identified in the memo: exam periods marked on the calendar, the placement of teacher workdays (including an October workday), and the option to add or move workdays if the board decides adjustments are needed after public input. The board will review survey feedback at a work session and may return to the draft at the Feb. 9 meeting.
The board did not adopt either calendar at the meeting; Dr. Perkins recommended collecting community feedback before any formal vote.
