Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Calendar topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Upshur County board holds hearing on 2025–26 school calendar, discusses start dates and holiday placement
Summary
At a special hearing, the Upshur County Board of Education reviewed the proposed 2025–26 school calendar—covering staff and student start dates, a half-day opening for professional learning, holiday placement and accrued instructional time—and heard questions from board members before adjourning.
The Upshur County Board of Education convened a special calendar hearing in which staff outlined a proposed 2025–26 academic calendar intended to align with neighboring counties and reduce schedule disruptions for students and families.
"This is our first calendar hearing for the 2526 calendar," the Presenter said, opening the discussion and emphasizing coordination with adjacent counties so students do not miss instruction. The presenter said the draft keeps the 2025–26 calendar largely consistent with the 2024–25 calendar and noted that coordination includes counties that share programs or technical centers.
Board members asked about key dates. The Presenter said 200-day employees would start on Aug. 11 and described a planned student start on Aug. 14 that would include a half-day "soft opening" devoted to professional learning and operational checks such as running full bus routes and serving meals. The presenter said the proposed student last day would be May 29. The transcript also references the date June 5 in relation to employee timing; the role of that date in the schedule was not specified in the discussion.
Members discussed holiday placement and absenteeism. The Presenter described a change that shifts a day to the Monday before a holiday to reduce absenteeism, noting how state-declared holidays (and county observances) influence whether certain days become paid holidays for staff. A board member asked whether Jan. 2 would be an in-service day; the Presenter confirmed it would be used for staff professional learning.
The Presenter also walked through semester day counts and testing implications, saying the first semester on the draft calendar is shorter (85 days) and the second semester longer (95 days), and that the layout of spring break and adjacent instructional blocks helps accommodate statewide testing windows.
After a brief period for questions — including concern about absenteeism at in-service events and whether guest speakers justify the expense if many staff take personal leave — the Chair asked for a motion to adjourn. One member moved and another seconded; the chair announced, "Moved by Roy Ranger, seconded by Susan King," and called the voice vote. The motion to adjourn carried and the meeting closed.
Next procedural steps described by staff included intercounty coordination after the second hearing and the possibility of passing the calendar the same night after that follow-up. The Presenter said one neighboring county had already approved the calendar and sent a copy with a single difference involving Labor Day placement.
—
