PCPS proposes 2025–27 student calendars with added instructional hours and mandatory orientation days for transitional grades

Petersburg — Petersburg City Public Schools officials on Tuesday presented draft student calendars for 2025–26 and 2026–27 that increase instructional hours above the Virginia minimum and add mandatory orientation and parent engagement days for transitional grades.

Paul Brown, the district’s chief academic officer, said the calendar committee grounded its work in the division’s instructional framework and family feedback. "As we think about the calendar, developing the calendar, it was important for us to look at the calendar from the lens of how do we support quality instruction in the classroom," Brown said, describing parents’ and teachers’ responses to the committee’s survey.

Why it matters: The proposed student calendars show elementary, middle and high school schedules that exceed the state requirement of 990 instructional hours. For 2025–26 the district recommends 169.5 student days (elementary hours equating to about 1,101.75 hours); 2026–27 projections rise to about 171.5 days. Administrators said the extra hours are intended to provide more classroom time without shifting to a year‑round model.

Key provisions and supports: The drafts include a full‑day, mandatory orientation for transitional grades (Pre‑K, kindergarten, 1st, 6th, 7th and 9th) scheduled as the day before the first day of school so principals and staff can focus supports for students moving to a new setting. The division also proposes a back‑to‑school meet‑and‑greet during preplanning (Aug. 14) and a systemwide parent conference day (first date proposed: Nov. 4) designed to allow in‑person or virtual meetings between teachers and families.

Board members asked how orientation and preplanning interact with teacher preparation time. Brown said preplanning for staff is the week of Aug. 11, and the orientation day is planned as a full, stand‑alone day the day before school begins so staff can concentrate on transitional grades. He also said new‑teacher orientation will be a full week occurring prior to the broader preplanning week.

Transportation and inclusion: Board members suggested having buses and bus drivers on site during orientation so families can meet drivers and learn route expectations; Brown agreed transportation staff would be part of the plan and supported practical steps such as QR codes or printed expectations for families.

Next steps: Administration will incorporate board feedback and return a revised calendar for board review and a planned vote at a subsequent meeting (administration requested a revised packet for the board to consider at a future meeting). The board did not take a final vote on the student calendar during the session.

Ending: The calendar committee and staff said they will continue refining the proposal and noted Pleasant Lane — a grant‑funded pilot school — would use a separate calendar in 2026–27 if the board and state approve the pilot.