The School Committee on Thursday made plans to garner input from families and staff about their preferred 2026-27 school calendar. Members also received an update on the status of federal grants, some of which are “frozen” and under review by the U.S. Department of Education.
In the past, the School Committee sent out surveys to gauge public opinion about the inclusion of various religious and non-federal holidays. The schedule for 2025-26 brought the end date to June 18.
Next year, because of holidays falling on weekdays, the last day of school would extend to June 22 (a Tuesday), not counting possible snow days, according to Superintendent Evan Bishop.
Chair Kyla McSweeney noted the school calendar is the “number one topic this year on emails,” and her colleagues on the board agreed.
But members agreed that no matter what decision they make, a portion of people will be unhappy.
Having a school calendar that is “as inclusive as you can get” means the last day of school is pushed out an extra day or two, member Chris Masters noted.
Member Nancy Cavanaugh said establishing a subcommittee in the past “brought out strong feelings” from stakeholders, including parents and teachers.
She said a recent survey had mixed results and misleading optics that the committee would choose one option over another based on popular vote.
“It’s not an exact science to go by that,” Cavanaugh said. “There was no clear directive from the data.”
Vice chair Susan Stephenson said she hears from the public all the time that child care is difficult for some when the school year runs so late into the summer. She added that another issue is the schedule’s impact on instruction and learning.
Stephenson said the fall is marked by numerous holidays and “breaks” in instruction, while the spring term is more of a “grind.”
She also reiterated the possibility of reducing the number of vacation days or consolidating two vacations into one.
Member Jamie Wronka said the most recent survey had questions that were “murky,” so the results were unclear.
Wronka said she would feel uncomfortable removing one group’s religious observance/holiday over another, and Bishop agreed.
“Picking and choosing is not the best course of action,” Bishop said.
The superintendent noted that some of the days off are dictated by contract, while Assistant Superintendent Jeff LaBroad said many teachers and staff live outside of Hopkinton, so their calendars do not always correspond with their hometowns.
The communities that follow a schedule with only federal holidays are Judeo-Christian-based, and that is not Hopkinton’s makeup, LaBroad said.
Wronka said a first step could be a “listening tour” where the committee could hear opinions and participate in discussions.
Dates tentatively were set for Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. via Zoom and Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in person at the School Committee meeting.
Those dates may change, Cavanaugh said, and a planned press release from the committee should state that.
Federal grants topic of presentation
In other business, LaBroad presented information about federal grant entitlements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced No Child Left Behind.
He said ESSA has 22 programs grouped into nine titles. Hopkinton is entitled to four.
LaBroad said the federal government is working to align with the current presidential administration and executive orders. On June 30, states were informed that a pause was put on distribution of funds while a programmatic review takes place.
Because the entitlement grants usually are distributed on or before July 1, the news took states by surprise, LaBroad said.
However, Title 1 funds were not impacted. This money is allocated to improve basic instruction and strengthen core programs for low-achieving students in subjects like math and reading, LaBroad said.
Last year, Hopkinton received $107,218 for this purpose, and the district is awaiting the award.
Also not impacted by the “pause” or “freeze” while programs are reviewed are Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds and federal SPED and early childhood SPED monies, he explained.
However, the bulk of grants totaling $5 billion is under review. LaBroad said legal research has shown states can push back against this matter with the federal government after Sept. 30 “at the point the law is being compromised.”
These include Title II grants, which support teachers and new educators. In Hopkinton, the money is used for teacher mentors for new educators as well as mentoring training and other professional development. Last year, the district received $46,827 in this category.
Also on hold are Title III grants to improve education for English learners and Title IV for technology to promote innovation and learning.
Hopkinton in fiscal year 2025 received $35,842 and $10,000, respectively.
The total impact on the district if these funds are not forthcoming is approximately $90,000.
An ESOL tutor is funded exclusively by a Title III grant in Hopkinton, the assistant superintendent said. That would be one issue the School Committee must address if the funds are not forthcoming.
“There is a lot of chatter across the state,” LaBroad said, because of all the unknowns.
The federal grant information will be posted on the department’s website.
Bishop debuts in new position
As this was Bishop’s first meeting as superintendent, he noted his focus is on “listening and learning.”
Bishop said he has been meeting with families, teachers and community members, attended a conference for new administrators and was assigned a mentor to guide him in his new position.
Bishop said he would talk about the “why, how and what” of his entry process at the Aug. 14 meeting and said he follows the motto “Think big, start small, learn fast.”
Additionally, he expressed gratitude for the “support and kindness” he has received while he transitions into the job as well as the “grace” shown to him.
“I’m excited to get to work,” he said.
Running the school calendar so far into June keeps students from participating in some important learning opportunities (specialty camps and classes, for example, high school students have to miss the service academy camps). We really need to stay within the norms of other districts and not risk going into the very last week of June. It’s frustrating to have to wait until the end of the snow season to plan for these summer programs. Perhaps we could simply pick the few most important holidays for each religion, rather than trying to accommodate so many dates. Or ensure that those holidays observed by few families are kept free from exams/other due dates and more easily missed.
Pushing out “a day or two” into another week ruins the entire week for families. Let’s try to avoid that if we can.
Hello Lynne,
I checked the calendar. The religious holidays are as follows:
09/23 – Rosh Hashanah – 1 day
10/2 – Yom Kippur – 1 day
10/20 – Diwali – 1 day
12/24 – 12/31 – Christmas – 6 days
3/20 – Eid Al Fitr – 1 day
4/3 Good Friday – 1 day
Which ones do you think should be cut?
All except the winter holiday. Which runs from the winter solstice to New Year’s Day and is a break the kids and teachers rely on between the two semesters. All religious holidays can be allowed as an excused absence while school is in session. Children belong in school and their parents need to go to work.
Thanks, Matt. So, the same logic of “Children belong in school and their parents need to go to work” can also apply to the week of 12/24 – 12/31, right? You can use an “excused absence” too.
Taking a look at the first three months (14 weeks) of school for this coming year, the calendar has only 5 (!!) full weeks, the remaining 9 are disrupted by days off. While some of these no school days are federally mandated, adding non mandated holidays contributes to this disjointed schedule. I would fully support moving to a calendar that includes mandated holidays only.
Can you be specific on what you want to cut, Kristen?
Looking at next year’s school calendar, and it seems there are only four full weeks between the start of school and Thanksgiving. The other weeks are shortened by holidays or half-days, which makes it tough to build consistent momentum early in the year.
That said, we’re lucky to be part of a community that values inclusion and would likely support students and staff who take time off for cultural or religious observances. Still, the way the calendar is structured now means we’re often in school well into late June—by which point most people are more than ready for summer.
This late end can interfere with summer jobs, camps, and family travel that often start earlier.
Can any of the complainers please tell me which of these days they want to cut?
09/23 – Rosh Hashanah – 1 day
10/2 – Yom Kippur – 1 day
10/20 – Diwali – 1 day
11/28 – Day after Thanksgiving – 1 day
12/24 – 12/31 – Christmas – 6 days
2/16 – 2/20 – Winter break – 5 days
3/20 – Eid Al Fitr – 1 day
4/20 – 4/24 – Spring break – 5 days
4/3 Good Friday – 1 day
All the optional holidays. Thanks.
Mark, So, only these holidays, correct?
– Labor Day – Monday, September 1
– Columbus Day – Monday, October 13
– Veterans Day – Tuesday, November 11
– Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 27
– Christmas Day – Thursday, December 25
– New Year’s Day – Thursday, January 1
– Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Monday, January 19
– Presidents Day – Monday, February 16
– Patriots’ Day – Monday, April 20
– Memorial Day – Monday, May 25
– Juneteenth Independence Day – Friday, June 19
Sravana, are you on the committee advising regarding School calendar ?? If so please look at reducing Spring break holidays.
Hi RK, I am not in the committee. I appreciate the clarity in your ask.
Your question is worded in a rather antagonistic way – we are not “complainers,” but we do see the issues with a school calendar that potentially ends as June does. Especially for high schoolers, that means missed learning opportunities outside of school because many start in late June. Every year, we wait anxiously to see how many snow days there are or if our child has to give up an important camp counselor position just to sit at school while little end-of-year learning takes place. That’s not right.
Combine the winter and spring breaks, hold it in March, maybe lengthen by one day. That’s the norm in other states. We can cut Good Friday too.
In my view, while the School Committee holds responsibility for establishing the academic calendar, we should limit school closures to only those holidays mandated by state law. Maximizing uninterrupted instructional time allows teachers and students to stay focused on learning. It also enables the School Committee to concentrate on its core responsibilities: setting educational goals, shaping district policy, and approving the annual budget.
According to Massachusetts General Laws (Chapter 4, Section 7, Clause 18), all public offices—including public schools—must observe the following statewide legal holidays:
– Labor Day – Monday, September 1
– Columbus Day – Monday, October 13
– Veterans Day – Tuesday, November 11
– Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 27
– Christmas Day – Thursday, December 25
– New Year’s Day – Thursday, January 1
– Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Monday, January 19
– Presidents Day – Monday, February 16
– Patriots’ Day – Monday, April 20
– Memorial Day – Monday, May 25
– Juneteenth Independence Day – Friday, June 19
How about the professional development days? Its rare to see any private or public institutions giving days off for professional development