Warren County board adopts 2025–26 calendars after survey favors split spring breaks

The Warren County Schools board adopted the 2025–26 academic calendars at its Feb. 25 work session after members approved a calendar option that splits spring break into two short breaks.

The district presented results from a community survey of 413 respondents, of whom 220 (53%) selected “option one,” described by staff as split spring breaks (one in March and one in April). Deborah Clayton, who presented the survey findings, told the board the most frequent open-ended request was for a single calendar across district schools and that respondents valued wellness days and alignment with local college schedules.

Board member Long moved to adopt the calendars under the split-break option; the motion was seconded by Board Member Ebony Tally Brain and approved by voice vote. The board chair announced the motion carried.

Superintendent Dr. Moniku Davis and calendar committee members explained the district calculates calendars by instructional hours rather than days, which lets the system bank hours to cover weather losses. Clayton said the district must maintain the required instructional-hour minimum and that wellness or half days affect the district’s banked hours. “We have to be strategic,” she said, describing how banked hours protected spring break this year after multiple weather closures.

The adopted calendars set elementary and secondary return dates so both school systems resume together the week after the April break; detailed start, break and early-release schedules for each calendar were displayed during the presentation.

Next steps: officials said the calendars will be posted to district channels and that the summer-testing plan discussed at the meeting will be returned to the board in March as a formal action item for final approval.