|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
Click or scan QR code to subscribe to The Dunne Disptach
The Dunne Dispatch (School Calendar Edition, Part 3) - April 20, 2026
Friends and Neighbors,
I am writing to provide an update on our efforts to fix the school calendar.
I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to share their concerns and suggestions–your feedback was invaluable in the development of proposals for changes to the school calendar. I apologize for any delay in responding to your thoughtful comments. I will be responding to your emails in the coming days.
Changes for Next Year (SY 2026-27)
On April 9, the School Board considered several motions to make modest improvements to the school calendar for next year.
-
The School Board approved my motion to limit the number of early release days. I had proposed a maximum of 4 early release days per year, but the motion was amended to allow up to 8 early release days in elementary schools. This year, there are 12 early release days in elementary schools, so the amended motion will reduce the number of early release days by one-third. I will continue to work with my colleagues to seek a further reduction for future school years.
-
The School Board approved a motion to designate Veterans Day as a school day. Until 2022, Veterans Day was a school day, and local veterans were honored at school events. Since 2022, FCPS has closed all schools on Veterans Day, even though existing policy designates it as a school day. I supported this motion to ensure conformity with existing policy for next year, but I believe FCPS should evaluate potential alignment with Federal holidays for future school years.
- The School Board rejected a motion to designate Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a school day.
Changes for Future Years (SY 2027-28 and beyond)
I am working with my colleagues to develop proposals to restore consistency and sanity to the school calendar for SY 2027-28 and subsequent years. On April 23 or May 7, the School Board will consider the following motions:
-
To increase the number of five-day weeks, so at least two-thirds of school weeks are five-day weeks by SY 2028-29. I examined all of the school calendars in the FCPS archives, which date back to SY 1988-89. On average, 70% of school weeks were five-day weeks for decades, with a range of 67% to 76%. With the elimination of Early Release Mondays in 2014, the average declined slightly to 67% from SY 2014-15 to SY 2021-2022, with a range of 62% to 68%. Since SY 2022-2023, only 55% of school weeks have been five-day weeks, with a range of 52% to 58%. This year, only 52% of school weeks are five-day weeks. Five-day weeks are considered the gold standard because they provide the necessary consistency, structure, and time required for deep learning and social development. If we want to bridge the achievement gap and enable students to realize their academic potential, FCPS must provide students with the foundational support of a five-day week—a proven model that served this district effectively and promoted high academic achievement for decades.
 *Data unavailable for 1991-92.
-
To increase the number of summer days, so there are at least 72 days of summer. This proposal would restore the two weeks of summer lost in 2021 when the School Board decided to start two weeks before Labor Day without adjusting the last day of school. For decades, students and families enjoyed long summers, with plentiful opportunities for summer camps, jobs, and vacations. Staff also benefited in the form of time for advanced degree coursework, curriculum planning, and professional development. On average, there were 77 summer days for decades, with a range of 70 to 84. Since 2022, the average has fallen to 67 summer days, with a range of 62 days to 69 days. This year, there are only 62 summer days. I believe it is time to return the lost days of summer to our students, families, and staff.
 *Data unavailable for 1991-92; 2020-21 removed due to Covid-shortened year.
-
To designate all Federal holidays as student holidays. I believe that it is time to change FCPS policy to align with Federal holidays (to include Veterans Day), which is consistent with the overwhelming feedback that we have received from our constituents. (This would apply to SY 2027-28 and subsequent years.)
-
To require a brief break between each quarter for teacher workdays, staff development days, and school planning days. It is important to consolidate days off in order to increase the number of five-day weeks. This is a strategic move to prioritize instructional momentum and operational stability, balancing the technical needs of educators with the developmental needs of students.
-
To establish a Calendar Committee to advise on the development of school calendars. Historically, FCPS had a Calendar Committee to inform the development of the school calendar. We have received overwhelming feedback that the school calendar is imposing costly and unnecessary burdens on students, families, and staff, so it is time to establish a new Calendar Committee. I believe that it is important to ensure the diversity of our county is fully represented, so I believe the Calendar Committee should be modeled on the Boundary Review Advisory Committee, which included two representatives from every high school pyramid. The representatives were randomly selected from the applicant pool to ensure a diversity of perspectives.
-
To conduct a study of a balanced school calendar. Some families have advocated for a balanced school calendar with 9-week quarters, 2-week breaks between quarters, and a shorter summer (5-6 weeks). Balanced school calendars are common overseas (e.g., Australia, Germany, Japan, and the U.K.), but less common in the United States. I believe this option should be thoroughly studied to determine if there are potential benefits. If the study finds significant benefits, there should be extensive community engagement to determine if there is public support for this option. At this point, I do not support a balanced school calendar, but I would like to see what the research shows.
If you would like to learn more about the school calendar, you might be interested in the following recordings:
- I was recently interviewed by WJFK-FM 106.7 FM The Fan about the impact of the school calendar on local families. The recording is available here.
- Dr. Ricardy Anderson (Mason), Ilryong Moon (At Large), and I held a virtual town hall on April 7. The recording is available here.
Over 670 residents responded to my survey on the school calendar. Here is an overview of the responses that I received. The results reflect the percent of people who support the following:
Over 200 residents responded to a separate survey by Dr. Anderson on Early Release days. Here are the key findings:
Please continue to share your thoughts with my office at mountvernon@fcps.edu. Your voices are informing our efforts to fix the calendar on a permanent basis.
Very respectfully,
 Mateo Dunne, Mount Vernon District Representative
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
|
