East Brunswick BOE Reviews School Calendar, Seeks Committee

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — The East Brunswick Board of Education reviewed a proposed 2026-2027 school calendar on Feb. 5 that would end the academic year on Monday, June 21, prompting discussion about whether to start classes one day earlier to avoid students returning after a weekend.

The draft calendar presented by Superintendent Evelyn Mamman calls for classes to begin Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2027, with high school graduation scheduled for June 21 at the Cure Arena. The 180 instructional days would include two built-in emergency closing days.

Board member Jaime Falco questioned whether the school could start Monday, Aug. 31, instead, allowing the year to end before the weekend. Board attorney Matthew J. Giacobbe confirmed the board has legal authority to set the start date, citing a 2018 Appellate Division case that affirmed calendar decisions as a "non-negotiable managerial prerogative."

"We can come back on August 31 , and students would begin on September 2," Falco said, referring to the adjusted schedule that would have two professional development days before students arrive.

Teachers' association representative said educators would likely welcome an earlier end date. "I think any opportunity for us to leave earlier and have a longer summer break, our teachers will welcome that," she said.

Board member Antoinette Evola requested establishment of a calendar committee for future years, noting many concerns could have been addressed earlier in the process.

The proposed calendar includes eight single-session days for parent-teacher conferences, four staff-only professional development days, and recognizes 10 religious holidays when school remains open but students may take excused absences.

Board members also discussed moving one emergency day from June 1 — initially designated for the primary election but later corrected to June 8 — to Memorial Day weekend to create a four-day break.

Mamman presented historical data showing East Brunswick used emergency closing days six times in 2017-2018, with the most recent years using zero to two days. The district has already used one emergency day in the current school year.

The calendar must include 184 contract days for 10-month staff, meeting state requirements and contractual obligations. The board is expected to vote on the calendar later this month.

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