Wake school board approves 2024-25 calendars, decides against early August start

The school board is planning business as usual for 2024-25 but would consider an early August-to-May calendar if state law changes.

Posted 8:00 a.m. Apr 11, 2023 — Updated 1:07 p.m. Apr 17, 2023

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter,

and

Chelsea Donovan, WRAL reporter

CARY, N.C. — The Wake County Board of Education has approved calendars for the 2024-25 school year, opting not to move forward with an earlier start calendar that would go into effect if state law changed.

Board members had looked at whether to start the school year on Aug. 27 or as early as Aug. 7, which is earlier than the state school calendar allows. They were not planning to defy the calendar law but had wanted to look at what would be possible if state calendar law changed. The earlier calendar put the first semester ending before winter break and summer starting by May 23 instead of June 13.

The district recommended going with the calendar that complied with state law.

If state law changed, the district would bring back a proposal to the school board that would start school earlier, said Glenn Carrozza, the district's assistant superintendent over school choice, planning and assignment. The board could decide how much public input to take on the issue, if the time came, he said.

Board Member Lynn Edmonds said she was glad the board looked at a comparison between the two calendars and believes the earlier start "better serves students and families."

Under current state law, schools can start no earlier than the Monday closest to Aug. 26, and end no later than the Friday closest to June 11. It means there would need to be a bill that would draw up a specific exemption for all Wake County schools.

That’s an unlikely prospect, as state Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, has said he doesn’t intend for the Senate to take up any calendar flexibility bills.

Over the past several years, the state House has passed several bills to give wiggle room to the calendar, but all bills have died in the Senate. Many districts believe the law enacted in 2004 is limiting.

Several school districts in the western part of our state have defied state law with no major consequences thus far.

Opponents say starting the school year earlier could impact our state's nearly $30 billion tourism industry.

Currently, the state’s calendar law only permits exemptions to school start and end dates to schools that have been affected by emergency-related closures and to schools offering a year-round calendar. Restart Schools — roughly 150 perennially low-performing schools that are participating in major turnaround programs — are also granted calendar flexibility for the duration of their programs, if they choose it.

School boards across North Carolina have these exemptions for year-round schools and for weather-related closures. School boards have also pushed for exemptions for all of their schools in bills that have sometimes passed the North Carolina House of Representatives but have failed to move in the North Carolina Senate.

In the past year, other school boards — namely, those in the Charlotte area — have approved calendars for the 2023-24 school year that would move the school start date to early August and end date to late May, WFAE has reported.

Some have backtracked. The Union County Board of Education reversed its decision after being sued by some parents, according to WFAE. But Gaston County Schools actually started classes Aug. 17 for this school year — several days early.

A common desire among school systems is to align high school calendars with community college calendars — as many student dually enroll — and to have first-semester exams before winter break, so students can take exams with information fresher in their minds. Wake County school board members have echoed these desires during previous meetings.

Under the second calendar being considered by the Wake County school board, the first semester would end Dec. 20, lasting 87 days. The second semester would last 90 days, taking place after a 10-day winter break. The calendar that complies with state law would have the first semester end Jan. 17, lasting 85 days. The second semester would last 92 days, taking place after a nine-day winter break.

Starting school after Labor Day is common in the northeastern United States, while starting school in early or mid-August is common in the South, the central United States and many western states.

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