Regional Calendar Survey - Pre-Labor Day Start

The school divisions in our region seek your input with the development of the school year calendars. Your assistance will help guide how we serve our students, families, and our communities. Please take a few moments to read the FAQs below and complete this brief school calendar survey. The results of this survey will assist each school division's Superintendent, School Board, and calendar planning committee as the 2020-21 school calendar is developed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are we considering changing to a Pre-Labor Day start?

  • In February, the Virginia General Assembly voted to eliminate the so-called “King’s Dominion Law.”
  • Since 1986, the “King’s Dominion Law” required schools to open after Labor Day unless they qualified for a special waiver.
  • Currently, 87 of Virginia’s 132 school divisions open in August.
  • The change in law now allows all school divisions to set a 180-day calendar where students attend school up to 14 days before Labor Day, if schools are closed from the Friday immediately preceding Labor Day through the holiday.
  • An August start date could allow for additional “banked student instructional days” due to divisions being adversely impacted by weather events.

Why is it important for school division calendars to be similar?

  • Our schools share many services regionally to better serve the needs of all students
  • Examples of these shared resources include, but are not limited to:
    • New Horizons Regional Education Centers (Governor’s School, CTE, Newport Academy, Center for Autism)
    • Enterprise Academy
    • Special Education Sites (i.e., Kiln Creek, Oyster Point ACA, Yorktown Middle, Rivermont School)

What factors are included when developing a school-year calendar?

  • Per state code, a “standard school year” must consist of at least 180 teaching days or a total of at least 990 teaching hours per year
  • Regional programs each school division utilizes for their students
  • The overall instructional needs of our students
  • Employee professional development schedules
  • Holidays and school breaks

The survey is now closed.


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