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Catalina Foothills board delays final vote on 2026–27 school calendar after member concerns
Summary
Board members debated a preliminary 2026–27 calendar — focusing on uneven semester days, AP exam timing and teacher start dates — and agreed to return the item for a third reading rather than approve it tonight.
Board President Jackson opened discussion on the preliminary 2026–27 school-year calendar, noting this was the second reading of a plan brought forward by district staff. Mindy, who presented the calendar, said the recommendation remained unchanged from the prior meeting and that administrators had reviewed conference schedules and attendance patterns.
Mindy said administrators “did look at starting earlier, but... for our brand new teachers, it would be them coming back on the July 22,” highlighting the trade-off between moving instructional days earlier and the practical impact on staff scheduling and hiring. Several members pressed for more data, asking for comparisons of AP and other semester-bound course performance when classes and exams are more separated in time.
Board members debated instructional trade-offs: some argued a slightly longer second semester accommodates testing and AP timelines, while others noted that moving start dates earlier could yield five additional front-end instructional days but complicate lesson planning for semester courses. Dr. Denise Bartlett warned that changes could affect middle-school quarter schedules and elementary trimester calendars.
Gina Maymert said she was unsettled by the proposal: “I’m not comfortable,” and asked for further conversations with high-school faculty. Other members said they had heard only limited pushback so far and that administrators had consulted principals before bringing the recommendation to the board.
Rather than adopt a final calendar, the board agreed to ask administrators to gather additional faculty feedback and data and scheduled a third reading before a final decision.
