Parents urge longer school year, better calendar posting as board delays final calendar

Public commenters at the Fremont County School District # 2 board meeting pressed the district to reconsider its proposed calendar and strategic plan and asked the board to improve how those documents are posted for public review.

Julian Leisberg, who identified as a Du Bois community member and grandmother of a district student, urged the board to adopt a 180‑day student calendar instead of the current 160‑day schedule. Leisberg said the shorter calendar reduces instructional time over a child’s K‑12 career and highlighted concerns about students’ access to supports after long breaks. “I would ask that the board consider the 180 day student calendar for the upcoming school year…20 days of missed instruction is significant,” Leisberg said.

Another commenter said the strategic plan and calendar were not published with the board packet and were difficult to find on the district website, noting not all community members use social media. The commenter pointed to the strategic plan’s length (24 pages compared with a prior four‑page plan) and questioned the representativeness of an 18‑response survey included in the document.

Staff told the board the state calendar finalization deadline is April 1. After hearing public comments and noting several board members were absent, the chair proposed postponing calendar approval so the board can collect additional input; there were no objections to postponement. Board members said they will take public comments back to the calendar committee and continue community outreach, including listening sessions and surveys.

The board scheduled further discussion of the strategic plan for a future meeting and encouraged parents to participate in upcoming sessions.