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Board weighs single-calendar options but legal limits keep some schools on different schedules
Summary
Calendar committee chair Deborah Clayton and the board discussed options for a single 2025–26 calendar, with the board attorney saying state law limits earlier start dates and restart/early-college schools retain calendar flexibility; the committee will continue work and return recommendations.
Deborah Clayton, chair of the calendar committee, reviewed state requirements and local constraints as the Warren County Board of Education discussed whether to move toward a single district calendar for 2025–26. Clayton told the board that state law requires at least "185 instructional days or a minimum of 1,025 instructional hours" and that the committee banks extra hours at each school to cover early releases or missed days.
Clayton noted that five of the district’s six schools already have calendar flexibility (Warren Early College and four restart schools), while Vaughn Elementary must remain on a traditional calendar. That distinction means some schools can start earlier than others, and Clayton said the committee is examining whether the district can better align calendars without violating state requirements.
The board attorney (S2) clarified statutory limits on start dates and waivers, describing a narrow "good cause" exemption that, if met, allows DPI to permit earlier starts but only under the statute’s specific conditions and generally not before Aug. 19. The attorney’s explanation led members to conclude that a one-time blanket waiver to make all schools start earlier is unlikely.
Board members discussed trade-offs: Chair Layman (S1) asked about the importance of scheduling end-of-course (EOC) tests before winter break for high-school students; Clayton and others said scheduling helped avoid testing in mid-January. Vice Chair Sims (S3) and several board members expressed support for a single calendar in principle but acknowledged legal and practical barriers; keeping spring break aligned across schools was identified as an important community concern.
The committee will continue work, seek stakeholder feedback from the high school and middle school (which would be most affected), and present recommendations for discussion at future meetings. No formal policy change or vote on the calendar took place at the Jan. 28 work session.
