Henrico board hears proposed 2027–28 school calendar, questions communications and staggered‑start implementation

Dr. Boyd, the district’s calendar presenter, laid out a proposed 2027–28 calendar for Henrico County Public Schools and recommended the board approve it at the April 30 meeting.

The proposal, Dr. Boyd said, was developed through a multi-stage process led by a calendar committee of school-based staff, parents and central-office staff and informed by a division-wide survey of 3,970 participants. "The calendar reflects a thoughtful, iterative process grounded in stakeholder engagement, state requirements, and our commitment to supporting students, staff, and families," she said.

Why it matters: the draft makes three substantive changes the district says will reduce instructional disruption and support staff workload — cutting the number of student half days from three to two, moving one wellness day from the fall to the spring so both wellness days fall in the second semester, and adding a half clerical day by converting a fall half clerical day into a fuller clerical day. The draft also preserves major breaks (Thanksgiving, winter and spring) and retains a staggered start designed to support students in transition grades.

Survey results and policy limits: Dr. Boyd told the board that 87% of survey respondents supported maintaining observance of religious holidays (she cited examples including Yom Kippur, Diwali and Christmas) and that 78% supported placing wellness days adjacent to professional learning days; staff responses skewed more supportive than responses from students or parents. She said the district developed the calendar to meet Virginia’s minimum requirement of 180 days or 990 hours of instruction.

Implementation and communications: Dr. Boyd said each elementary school will decide how to assign pre-K and kindergarten students across staggered-start days so the school achieves an even balance and that schools will communicate assignments through school websites, ParentSquare and division templates by June 1. "This approach allows schools to balance the numbers in the best way that supports their classroom environments and needs," she said.

Board questions focused on clarity, equity and contingency planning. Mrs. Kinsella, a school board member, supported the changes and asked that the wellness day that falls around Easter be labeled on the calendar as "Easter Monday/wellness day" to acknowledge observers. "I would like for this calendar to be, for an edit to say basically wellness Easter Monday slash wellness day," she said.

Mrs. Atkins pressed for a simple, repeated communications plan in multiple languages and asked whether the district had provided guidelines to ensure schools select students equitably for staggered days. Dr. Cashwell, responding for district staff, said principals will have flexibility (alphabetic splits, classroom splits or other locally chosen approaches) but must aim for an even split and communicate assignments to families during enrollment. "So however they could arrive at that balance, just that there's clear communication on who's been assigned," Dr. Cashwell said.

On contingency planning, Mrs. Shay asked whether the district should pre-designate days in the spring to recoup instructional time if another unusually disruptive year occurs. Dr. Cashwell said the division tried pre-designating recoup days in past years and received mixed feedback; staff prefer flexibility to use banked hours, remote instruction where allowed, or targeted calendar adjustments so the board can respond to the specific timing of closures.

Board member Mr. Young asked how many days or hours the district currently has banked for emergencies. Dr. Cashwell said the current-year calendar contained roughly the equivalent of 10 days (he explained the division measures hours rather than days because day length varies by school level) and that exact banked time varies by school; he said the division is tracking those hours and could include more detail in board materials.

What’s next: Dr. Boyd asked that the board consider the recommendation to approve the 2027–28 calendar at its April 30 meeting and requested flexibility to revisit the staggered-start model after the inaugural implementation. Several board members expressed support during the Q&A; staff said they will finalize communications materials and continue working with principals on equitable assignment guidance before the vote.

The board took no formal vote during the presentation; the calendar is expected to return for a formal vote on April 30.