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Sutherland Public Schools board adopts 2025–26 calendar with shorter Fridays, monthly full PD days
Summary
The board adopted the 2025–26 school calendar, shifting to an 8:00–3:30 Monday–Thursday schedule and 8:00–2:30 Fridays, keeping the state-required 1,080 seat hours. The calendar also replaces every-other-week half-day PDs with one full PD day per month and adds three flexible contract days for teachers.
Sutherland Public Schools board members voted to adopt the district’s proposed 2025–26 school calendar after a staff presentation and discussion. The presenter said the district plans to shorten daily schedules to reduce excess instructional minutes and better align with surrounding districts while still meeting the state requirement of 1,080 seat hours.
“We're proposing that Monday through Thursday we run an 8 to 3:30 day and then Friday we run 8 to 2:30,” the staff presenter told the board, and added that the change still leaves the district with roughly 15 excess hours to use for weather days, state tournaments or other contingencies. The presenter said staff overwhelmingly supported the change and that similar schedules are in use at neighboring districts.
Other calendar changes the board adopted include replacing recurring half-day professional-development (PD) releases with one full PD day per month (excluding December and May) and offering three flex contract days teachers can schedule at their discretion (teachers must be signed in for accountability). Staff said the move aims to reduce confusion for families and increase the usefulness of PD time.
Board members asked how the district would treat leave and substitutes under the new schedule; presenters said the district will apply its standard procedures so that staff taking a full-day absence are responsible for full-day coverage. Several members noted concerns about students who rely on school as a safe place and acknowledged the trade-offs between shorter Fridays and providing supervision.
A motion to accept the 2025–26 calendar was made, seconded and carried by voice vote; the transcript records multiple 'yes' responses but does not list individual roll-call votes.
Next steps: staff will finalize calendar materials for public distribution, clarify coding for parent‑teacher conference days and share final documents with families.
