Cheltenham delays calendar recommendation after limited family survey response

Cheltenham School District delayed presenting a final academic calendar at its Dec. 17 Educational Affairs Committee after staff reported that an initial family survey drew responses from roughly 360 households, far short of the district's approximate 4,300 students.

Miss Savage said the committee expanded distribution through SchoolMessenger and will also solicit input from teachers and the CEA. "In the interest of being inclusive...we are going to slow down," she said, noting staff plan to reconvene in early January after collecting additional family and staff feedback so the final calendar can include assessment, report‑card and professional‑development dates.

Board members asked to see the selected calendar before the January legislative agenda and suggested an information session once consolidated results are available; Miss Savage proposed holding such a session in the first full week of January. The administration also discussed multi‑channel communications (newsletters and printed colored copies) to reach families who may not receive digital notices.

Next steps: the academic calendar committee will finish the survey outreach, compile results and present a recommendation in January that will be shared with the board before the legislative agenda.