Franklin City school board debates three calendar options after state preschool finding and teacher retention concerns

The Franklin City School Board spent much of its May 21 meeting debating three competing academic calendars as staff warned a state finding tied to the Virginia Preschool Initiative requires a five-days-per-week preschool schedule and educators urged the board to decide a calendar tonight.

Margaret Smith Britain, who identified herself as lead of the exceptional education department at SP Morton Elementary School and local VA president, told the board: "We come to work every day dedicated to educating, supporting, and encouraging the children of Franklin City" and asked the board for "a calendar to be passed tonight." Her comments framed the urgency for teachers seeking stability in pay and scheduling.

The superintendent's presentation described two recommended options: Option A, a five-day calendar that includes wellness/professional development days, and Option B, a five-day calendar without wellness days. The presenter said the division met the clock-hour requirement but received a monitoring finding because the preschool program was not operating on a five-days-per-week schedule. As the presenter summarized it, "Although that may be true [that clock hours are met], you're still not meeting the required 5 days per week," a statement the presenter said came from the Virginia Department of Education.

A board member successfully moved to amend the agenda to add a third choice — retaining the previous year’s calendar for one more year — turning the decision into an A/B/C vote. Board members split along lines of instructional time versus retention and recruitment: several members said additional in-class days were needed to address learning loss, while others warned that cutting wellness days could push already underpaid teachers to seek jobs elsewhere. One board member pointed to calls from more than 50 teachers and said some had received offers from neighboring divisions that pay more for five-day schedules.

The transcript records multiple roll-call positions on A, B or C and extended questioning about the content of the VDOE finding and whether the agency had put the finding in writing. Board members asked staff to provide the state letter and any written guidance to inform a final decision, and at least one member insisted the board needed the full written finding "so the board could make an informed decision." The presenter said the finding and the related corrective-action timeline were included in the materials and that compliance required calendar alignment for 2026–27.

Why it matters: the calendar choice affects preschool funding reporting, local match obligations for VPI slots and teachers' schedules — and, by extension, recruitment and retention in a small division that officials said has recently seen a notable drop in average daily membership. The board called for clarifying documents from VDOE and extensive discussion before finalizing the calendar choice.

The transcript records the board taking positions during the roll-call on A, B or C but does not include a clear, unambiguous final tabulation of the calendar outcome in the portions provided. The discussion concluded with board members signaling support for different options and a commitment to rely on the written state finding and staff clarifications before final implementation.