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PCPS proposes shifting two summer holidays for 12‑month staff and adding winter holidays; board raises equity and timekeeping concerns
Summary
The PCPS draft staff calendars would exchange summer holidays that fall on summer Fridays for December dates for 12‑month employees and add several employee holidays; board members questioned whether the moves are equitable and pressed administration on timekeeping and implementation of a Frontline time system.
Petersburg — Petersburg City Public Schools officials asked the school board to consider staff calendar revisions that would reallocate two summer holidays that fall on summer Fridays (Juneteenth and Independence Day in certain years) to winter dates for 12‑month employees and add additional paid holidays aimed at providing continuity around Thanksgiving and winter break.
Dr. Shamika Long Lane, assistant superintendent for human resources, said the requests align with Virginia law and district policy, and explained the mechanics: when national holidays fall on Fridays during the division’s summer four‑day workweek, the administration proposes to exchange those holiday dates for December dates so 12‑month employees can use the leave when school offices are typically open. "We reviewed the recommended student calendar, Virginia code 22.1‑302, and 8 VAC 20‑441‑30, and PCPS school board policy GCBD‑R," Dr. Lane said, describing how policy grants holidays to employees and how the exchanges would operate.
Board members expressed two primary concerns. First, several members — notably Board Member Miles — argued the reallocated holidays could appear to favor 12‑month staff and asked how teachers and other employees would benefit. "So if we're gonna give it to 1, let's give it to all," Miles said, urging equitable treatment. In response the superintendent and Dr. Lane explained the moves do not create new paid days but reallocate holidays that already existed on Fridays when many employees were not scheduled to work; they said teachers and many other employees already have summer nonwork days built into their schedules and would not gain additional paid leave.
Second, board members and the chair raised operational concerns about summer staffing, availability and accurate timekeeping. Members referenced an audit that flagged inconsistent staff availability during summer four‑day weeks. Superintendent Brown and HR staff said the division is implementing a time and attendance module in Frontline and integrating it with payroll systems (Keystone, KeyNet) to improve tracking; HR reported they were in the second week of implementation and training.
Other details: Dr. Lane proposed adding holidays including Nov. 25 (day before Thanksgiving), Dec. 30 and Jan. 2 (winter continuity) and Apr. 6 (Easter Monday) in various years for 12‑month employees. The 2025–26 staff calendar allotments were listed as 190 days for new teachers and 185 for returning teachers, with similar counts for 2026–27; wellness and professional development days are embedded in each calendar.
Next steps: Administration will return with a revised calendar document for the board to review and vote on at a later meeting. No formal board vote on the staff calendar occurred at this session.
Ending: The board also asked HR to update GCBD‑R regulations if the board approves the calendar changes and to provide clearer calendar labeling on which days apply to which employee groups.
