Board Approves Calendars for Next Two School Years

Posted December 5, 2024, 1:15 PM. Updated December 5, 2024, 2:27 PM.

Public input helped district leaders in determining schedule for 2025-26 and 2026-27.

The APS Board of Education has passed a calendar for the next two school years that maintains an early-August start and conclusion in late May.

The school district earlier this fall created an online survey available to the public. About 13,000 responses were received, with an overwhelming majority favoring the calendar that was adopted Wednesday night.

Another calendar option for both years offered a late-August start and a conclusion in June.

APS Superintendent Gabriella Blakey said she was gratified by the public’s input.

“Getting the thoughts and wishes of parents, students, staff members and the public at large really helped give all of us a look at what people wanted,” she said. “While I know no calendar is perfect for everyone, we are really grateful for the input.”

District leaders wanted to create a two-year calendar to help give families more consistency as they made long-range plans.

The adopted calendar ends the first semester of the school year in December. It also features:

Thursday of Balloon Fiesta as a virtual learning day for all students except 10th grade.
Fall break includes the Friday of the first Balloon Fiesta weekend and Monday for Indigenous Peoples Day.
Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences for K-12 are scheduled on the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. Spring parent-teacher conferences will have virtual learning days for students.
Two weeks for winter break.
Spring break alignment with the vernal holiday.

It’s important to note that “snow days” could affect this plan and could limit the number of spring conference days. Also, the APS calendar, like those throughout the state, are subject to change depending on legislative mandates.