Board hears public presentation on 2026–27 school calendar; explains 180-day requirement and snow-day options

S2 presented the Pendleton County Schools public hearing on the 2026–27 calendars and reviewed state instructional and employment requirements. "We have to have 180 of instruction," S2 said, and described required faculty-senate time, a minimum employment term of 200 days and 20 compensated non-instructional days that include holidays and election days.

S2 explained how counties may add minutes to the minimum instructional day to accommodate early dismissals, late arrivals and faculty-senate meetings. "County boards may add a minimum of 30 minutes to each school's instructional day," S2 said, and that by doing so a district may use up to five non-traditional instructional days (for example, pre-planned remote lessons) in lieu of making up snow days.

Board members asked how long bus rides factor into instructional time and whether scheduling might force student-athletes to miss graduation. S3 asked whether long bus rides "ever be able to work into" instructional calculations; staff replied that time on buses is reported but is not counted as instructional minutes. S5 raised a scheduling conflict with the state track meet and asked that schools try to schedule graduations to avoid forcing students to choose between competing and attending commencement. Staff and members said precise graduation dates are picked by the schools within the constraints of the adopted calendar.

Why it matters: The calendar sets the school year framework for instruction, staffing contracts and transportation. The board must vote a calendar by May 1; changes such as adding minutes to the school day affect how many snow days the district must make up and can ease scheduling pressures for events such as faculty senate meetings and extracurricular competitions.