Hoping to alleviate parents’ concerns about the frequency of disruptions this school year, the Fairfax County School Board has backed a calendar for the upcoming academic year that cuts down on the number of early-release days and nixes Veterans Day as a holiday.
At its meeting Thursday (April 9), the board debated the calendar for the upcoming school year in an effort to cut down on weeks with fewer than five days of classes.
The board was considering eliminating Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Veterans Day as official student holidays, but only the Veterans Day proposal passed. Both motions directed Fairfax County Public Schools to implement a curriculum to teach students about the groups that the occasions are intended to recognize.
Superintendent Michelle Reid said the current school year was planned for 25 five-day weeks, but special elections cut down on two of those weeks. The proposed calendar for 2026-2027 had 24 planned five-day weeks.
Mason District Representative Ricardy Anderson said students need consistency, lamenting that “we’re at a place where we’re just trying to salvage something for next year.”
“This cannot be our best effort,” she said. “Going from 23 weeks to 24 weeks of five full day instruction — it’s not enough.”
At-large representative Ryan McElveen said the proposals weren’t perfect, but at least they were something the board could do to alleviate parental concerns.
“Tonight I think we are doing what we can with what we have and frankly we are working to correct the hot mess that is scalding our community that was left to this current board,” he said. “This is a bad solution to a bad problem.”
A majority of the board, however, wasn’t on board with cutting a holiday for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which will fall on Oct. 12 this year. At-Large Representative Ilryong Moon said the board should focus on changing policy for long-term effects, rather than making specific changes to one calendar.
Because of the large population of local, state and federal government workers in the county, Sully District Representative Seema Dixit wanted to keep the school division’s holiday calendar in line with federal policy, while Board Chair Sandy Anderson said a lot of sporting events are planned for that three-day weekend so the absentee rate will be high.
The Indigenous Peoples’ Day motion failed 4-7, with Mount Vernon District Representative Mateo Dunne abstaining.
The board was mostly in alignment on cutting Veterans Day, with several members pointing out that current policy says the day after Thanksgiving is provided as an off day in lieu of Veterans Day. That motion passed 8-1, with Dixit opposed because she wanted to align holidays with the federal schedule. Three board members abstained.
The board also spent a significant amount of time discussing limiting the number of early release days for elementary school students. Currently, there are four division-wide early release days that affect all levels of instruction, but elementary schools have an additional eight days.
“This is costing [parents] thousands of dollars in child care, logistics are mind numbing and for single parents and those in the military the burdens are extraordinary,” Dunne said.
The early release days are frequently used for planning or professional development.
“I believe that the superintendent can find solutions to provide educators with this time just not as early release days to students that burden families and disorient students,” said Hunter Mill District Representative Melanie Meren.
The board initially considered capping the number of overall early release days at four. However, by the end of a lengthy debate, a motion passed 5-1, with six abstentions, to limit elementary schools specifically to eight early release days.
Some of the abstainers said the decision should be postponed so the board can gather more information.
“We just don’t have enough information to be able to make this decision,” said Sandy Anderson. “I really just don’t think it’s beneficial for us to get into the weeds on this. This is an extremely operational issue.”
After the holiday and early release discussion, At-Large Representative Kyle McDaniel motioned to approve the calendar for the upcoming school year. His motion frustrated some board members who wanted to wait until the next meeting to get a clean, updated copy of the proposed calendar.
McDaniel, however, said that families deserved to know the schedule as soon as possible.
“The community has consternation and another two-week delay is more consternation,” he said.
The calendar was approved on a 8-4 vote. A subsequent motion unanimously passed directing Reid to bring recommended calendars for 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 to the board on July 9 after community feedback on the proposals.
