Rockwood board postpones decision on 2025-26 and 2026-27 school calendars after first reading

The Rockwood Board of Education received a first reading of proposed revisions to the 2025—26 school calendar and a draft 2026—27 calendar before voting to postpone final approval until the Nov. 7, 2024 meeting.

Jennifer Martin, the district—s Director of Human Resources, described the calendar-development process used by a district calendar committee of parents, staff, administrators and community members and summarized the parameters that guided the drafts. Martin referenced the revised Missouri statute stemming from "House Bill 604," which restricts schools from starting more than 14 days before Labor Day, and noted the district—s requirement for minimum instructional hours.

For the 2025—26 revisions Martin said the proposal includes a teacher start date of Aug. 12 and a student start date of Aug. 18, embedded professional development days (including Oct. 6 and Nov. 3) and a semester-one end date of Dec. 19 that yields 83 student contact days in the first semester and 90 in the second. For the 2026—27 draft she said teachers would start Aug. 18 with students starting Aug. 24, yielding an 80-day first semester and nine days of winter break in that draft. Martin said both calendars meet the district—s goal of ending the school year before Memorial Day.

Board members asked questions about state testing windows, placement of professional learning and conference compensation days, and whether teachers would need to return for summer PD. Martin and staff answered that the state testing window was considered and that the calendars embed the four required professional learning days in the school year so additional summer PD would not be required by the contract.

After discussion the board read and voted on a motion to postpone approval of the proposed 2026—27 calendar and the revisions to the 2025—26 calendar until the Nov. 7 meeting; the motion carried.