Board posts two draft 2026–27 calendars for public comment after first reading

Mrs. Miles presented two draft school calendars for the 2026–27 school year and the board approved a first reading to post both drafts for community input. The two proposals differ primarily in start date and the date of the last day of school: the pre‑Labor Day option would start Sept. 1 with a last student day of June 11, while the post‑Labor Day option would start Sept. 8 with a last student day of June 15.

Miles explained both drafts contain the required 180 student attendance days and three built‑in inclement‑weather makeup days. She walked the board through differences in scheduling for professional development days that influence which calendar days are available to become makeup days if weather closures occur. The district noted that because Labor Day falls late in September next year, drafting calendars required balancing term lengths and PD days differently than in past years.

The board voted in a roll call to approve the first reading and post both drafts on wicomicoschools.org with a calendar input survey available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. The survey will be open through noon on Wednesday, March 4; results will be compiled and provided to board members ahead of the March 10 meeting so the board can consider feedback before final action.

Board members asked clarifying questions about why specific dates (for example Nov. 25 or Dec. 21) appear as potential makeup days on one draft but not the other; Miles said differences stem from how PD days were scheduled across the two drafts, which changes which days can be repurposed as makeup days. No final calendar was adopted at first reading — the board's vote authorized posting the drafts and soliciting community input for a final decision at a future meeting.