West Contra Costa Unified board adopts 2027–28 and 2028–29 calendars, directs study of rotating holidays
May 04, 2026 | West Contra Costa Unified, School Districts, California
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The West Contra Costa Unified School District Board of Education on May 4 unanimously adopted the district's 2027'28 and 2028'29 academic calendars and directed the superintendent to develop a sample calendar that would explore how to better accommodate religious and cultural holidays.
The board took the action after public comment urging greater calendar inclusivity and a trustee's motion to accept the two calendars as presented while asking staff to review the 2026'27 calendar for conflicts and to convene discussions with labor partners and parents to model alternative calendar options. "Direct the superintendent to go back and look at 26 27 calendar ... and commence a discussion with labor partners and parents to create a sample calendar," the trustee moving the motion said, and a colleague seconded it to allow deliberation.
Board members and staff framed the vote as both an immediate adoption of scheduled academic years and a procedural step toward possible future changes. The superintendent and trustees noted that contractual limits and state and county requirements constrain how many reserve days can be assigned. Staff explained that the 2028'29 draft shows two reserve days (October and May) where 2027'28 previously showed three because the October and May dates are limited by the teachers' (UTL) contract and by the board's prior resolution recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day; March remains the primary emergency reserve day.
Trustees raised concerns about meeting the required instructional minutes and 180 days if more days off were added or if the school year extended into July. One trustee said families commonly leave after the first week in June for summer travel, which reduces average daily attendance (ADA) and complicates scheduling. The superintendent noted that prior calendar changes were developed with PTA and Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) input and that any revised calendar would require coordination with the California Department of Education and the county office of education to ensure compliance with minutes and fiscal reporting.
Trustees and staff discussed a phased approach: conduct community outreach to identify which religious or cultural dates matter most to families, prioritize adjustments that affect student success (for example, avoiding major testing windows during Ramadan), and negotiate with unions about moving furlough or reserve days where feasible. A trustee asked the district to examine New York City's recent work on inclusive calendars as a reference point and recommended beginning with "low-hanging fruit" such as not scheduling tests during Ramadan.
The motion was recorded on the roll call: Trustee Hernandez voted yes; Trustee Regler (mover) voted yes; Trustee Gonzalez voted yes; Trustee Smith Folds (seconder) voted yes. The motion passed unanimously. The board adjourned immediately after the vote.
Next steps: the superintendent is to return with a review of the 2026'27 calendar for conflicts and a sample calendar that models alternatives and outlines what changes would require renegotiation with labor partners or waivers from oversight agencies. The board did not adopt any immediate calendar changes beyond approving the two academic years presented.
Sources: meeting proceedings, May 4, 2026, West Contra Costa Unified School District special board meeting.
The board took the action after public comment urging greater calendar inclusivity and a trustee's motion to accept the two calendars as presented while asking staff to review the 2026'27 calendar for conflicts and to convene discussions with labor partners and parents to model alternative calendar options. "Direct the superintendent to go back and look at 26 27 calendar ... and commence a discussion with labor partners and parents to create a sample calendar," the trustee moving the motion said, and a colleague seconded it to allow deliberation.
Board members and staff framed the vote as both an immediate adoption of scheduled academic years and a procedural step toward possible future changes. The superintendent and trustees noted that contractual limits and state and county requirements constrain how many reserve days can be assigned. Staff explained that the 2028'29 draft shows two reserve days (October and May) where 2027'28 previously showed three because the October and May dates are limited by the teachers' (UTL) contract and by the board's prior resolution recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day; March remains the primary emergency reserve day.
Trustees raised concerns about meeting the required instructional minutes and 180 days if more days off were added or if the school year extended into July. One trustee said families commonly leave after the first week in June for summer travel, which reduces average daily attendance (ADA) and complicates scheduling. The superintendent noted that prior calendar changes were developed with PTA and Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) input and that any revised calendar would require coordination with the California Department of Education and the county office of education to ensure compliance with minutes and fiscal reporting.
Trustees and staff discussed a phased approach: conduct community outreach to identify which religious or cultural dates matter most to families, prioritize adjustments that affect student success (for example, avoiding major testing windows during Ramadan), and negotiate with unions about moving furlough or reserve days where feasible. A trustee asked the district to examine New York City's recent work on inclusive calendars as a reference point and recommended beginning with "low-hanging fruit" such as not scheduling tests during Ramadan.
The motion was recorded on the roll call: Trustee Hernandez voted yes; Trustee Regler (mover) voted yes; Trustee Gonzalez voted yes; Trustee Smith Folds (seconder) voted yes. The motion passed unanimously. The board adjourned immediately after the vote.
Next steps: the superintendent is to return with a review of the 2026'27 calendar for conflicts and a sample calendar that models alternatives and outlines what changes would require renegotiation with labor partners or waivers from oversight agencies. The board did not adopt any immediate calendar changes beyond approving the two academic years presented.
Sources: meeting proceedings, May 4, 2026, West Contra Costa Unified School District special board meeting.
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