BY KARISSA MILLER
The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education on Monday voted 4-3 to approve the 2025-2026 school calendar Option 1, which includes an August 11 start date.
Board members Anita Kurn, Mike Kubiniec, Bill Howell and Charles Kelly voted in favor Option 1. Abby Trent, Doug Knight and Brian Sloan cast dissenting votes because that option does not conform with state law.
Under the adopted calendar, the school year will begin on August 11, 2025, and the last day of school will be May 22, 2026.
The approved calendar allows high school students to take final exams for their first semester courses before winter break. Students would attend school for 177 days and 1,062 hours.
I-SS Director of Accountability, Testing and Student Information Laura Elliot said Option 1 aligns the traditional calendar with the early college calendar.
“The district currently has 2,997 students taking College Career Promise classes with Mitchell Community College across all high schools, traditional and early college. When the calendars are not aligned, the district has buses and cafeteria staff that are still required to work,” Elliot explained.
Before the vote, Chairman Bill Howell said that it’s not easy to vote for a calendar — as the board has done for two straight years — that deviates from the state’s school calendar law.
“This is the first time that the board has had time to look at these calendars. If you want to vote on it tonight, I’m ready. If you want more time, I think that would be appropriate,” Howell said
Elliot said that the earlier that the board can approve the calendar, the easier it is on parents, students and staff. She said that there is also an implementation of a new Student Information System and the calendar is needed to accomplish tasks for the new setup.
Board attorney Dean Shatley told the board that if the three new members — who will be elected on November 5 — don’t agree with the adopted calendar, the board could revisit the matter. Howell and Kelly did not seek re-election.
Elliot said the district conducted a survey and received 2,015 parent responses. More than 72 percent of parents who participated said that they were satisfied with the current school calendar.
Each year, board members are divided about the decision to adopt the school calendar. N.C. law requires public schools to start “no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26 and end by the Friday closest to June 11.”