Monongalia County Schools holds first public hearing on 2026–27 calendar

Monongalia County Schools held the first of two required public hearings on Jan. 27 to collect public input on the 2026–27 school calendar, the superintendent told the board.

The superintendent opened the floor for comments and said the district’s deputy superintendent would answer technical questions. "We are required to have two public hearings for the 2026, 2027 school year calendar," Unidentified Speaker 3 said, explaining why the calendar has not yet been posted for public review.

District staff told the board they do not conduct a formal staff vote on the calendar but instead poll teachers, administrators and different service categories for input. "We don't vote. What we do do is take polls," Unidentified Speaker 6 said, describing the district’s outreach to multiple staff groups.

Board members and staff repeatedly noted state guidance constrains start and end dates, which limits how much the district can change the calendar. Early feedback gathered by staff favored consolidating spring breaks into a single longer recess rather than splitting days across March and April, though officials said the final layout will depend on how holidays fall and on weather.

The district plans a second hearing before bringing a calendar to a formal vote and then submitting it to the Department of Education for state board approval. The board listed the next meeting for Feb. 10 at 5 p.m., at which time calendar action is expected to move forward.