Elkhorn Area School District shortens 2025–26 student year, approves contracts and pay updates

The Elkhorn Area School District Board of Education on May 12 approved a revised 2025–26 school calendar that reduces student instructional days by five and moves five contracted staff days to the start of the school year as a cost-saving measure.

Board President (unnamed) said the change will shorten the student year so “we'll be ending school on May 28 rather than June 4” and explained the district plans to reclassify the five days as professional/staff days at the beginning of the year. Administrators told the board the change, combined with modest daily schedule adjustments, would meet required instructional minutes and save transportation and hourly staffing costs — an estimated savings the district identified as about $90,000.

Administrators said the plan would add roughly 10 minutes to each school day (for example by adjusting start or end times by five minutes) to capture needed minutes across the year. For middle and high school inclement-weather days, the district proposed asynchronous or virtual assignments so the day would still count toward instructional minutes rather than building extra snow days into the calendar.

During discussion, teachers and board members raised concerns about the impact on families, potential confusion from adjusted start times, and whether virtual snow days would result in equivalent student engagement. Several participants also discussed how the district's trimester/AP schedule compares with semester models and how seat time affects AP preparation.

In other business the board approved routine financial, personnel and policy items. Business staff reported general and other fund bills (checks 155055–155167; wire transfer and ACH items) totaling $849,176.72; the board approved those bills. Business/finance staff also explained an earlier Affordable Care Act employer penalty that had affected a previous employee, noting a federal penalty amount “a little over $4,000” in the example given.

The board appointed Harry Gordon as the CISA 2 delegate and approved a personnel recommendation sheet that included transfers (for example, Rosario Manriquez to Westside and Laura Swerta to Jackson), the hiring of Mackenzie Richke as an in-house occupational therapist (replacing private contracting and enabling state reimbursement), and accepted several resignations. The board also completed a second reading and approval of revised policy 4.69 on school meal account charges and approved a revised professional staff employee handbook section reflecting an average compensation increase of about 3% (approximately $2,100 per professional staff member). The board approved the 2025–26 teacher contracts to allow notices to be issued by the May 15 deadline.

Before closing, the board moved to adjourn into a closed session pursuant to Wisconsin State Statute 19.85(1)(c) "to consider salary wage adjustments for supervisors, administrators, and central office support staff" and recorded a roll-call vote; all present voted yes. The board said it would not reconvene in open session.

Votes at a glance: - Approval of April 28, 2025 minutes — motion approved on voice vote. - Approval of general and other fund bills (05/12/2025, checks 155055–155167; combined $849,176.72) — motion approved on voice vote. - Approval of revised 2025–26 school calendar (reduce five instructional days; add professional days at start of year) — motion approved on voice vote. - Appointment: Harry Gordon as CISA 2 delegate — motion approved on voice vote. - Personnel recommendations (transfers, hires, resignations) — motion approved on voice vote. - Approval of revised policy 4.69 (school meal account charges and collections) — motion approved on voice vote. - Approval of revised professional staff compensation (section 23) — motion approved on voice vote. - Approval of 2025–26 teacher contracts — motion approved on voice vote. - Adjourn to closed session under Wisconsin State Statute 19.85(1)(c) to consider salary/wage adjustments — motion approved by roll-call (all present voted yes).

What happens next: The changes to the calendar and compensation will be implemented as described; the board moved into closed session to consider salary adjustments for administrative and support staff as permitted by state statute.