2024-25 School Calendar To Be Voted On By PWC School Board

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — The Prince William County School Board is slated to vote on the 2024-25 school calendar options at Tuesday night's meeting.

The Prince William County School system accepted feedback for three calendar options for the 2024-25 school year. A survey elicited responses from teachers, parents, and students.

Each of the three calendar options, labeled Options A, B, and C, lists six key dates. They include the first day of school, winter break, spring break, and the last day of school.

Here are the three options:

Option A

• Teachers Report: Aug. 12
• First Day of School: Monday, Aug. 19
• Winter Break: Monday, Dec. 23 through Friday, Jan. 3
• Spring Break: Monday, April 14 through Monday, April 21
• Last Day of School: Thursday, June 12
• Last Day for Teachers: Friday, June 13

Option B

• Teachers Report: Aug. 12
• Start Date: Tuesday, Aug. 20
• Winter Break: Monday, Dec. 23 through Friday, Jan. 3
• Spring Break: Monday, April 14 through Friday, April 18
• Last Day of School: Thursday, June 12
• Last Day for Teachers: Friday, June 13

Option C

• Teachers Report: Aug. 12
• Start Date: Tuesday, Aug. 20
• Winter Break: Monday, Dec. 23 through Wednesday, Jan. 1
• Spring Break: Monday, April 14 through Friday, April 18
• Last Day of School: Tuesday, June 10
• Last Day for Teachers: Wednesday, June 11

Option A was by far the most popular choice among community members, according to the survey results posted by the school system. Respondents were asked to rank the three options in order of preference. Option A was followed by B and then C.

Based on the rankings and number of responses, each option was given a score. Option A held a score of 16,072, surpassing B's score of 12,050 and C's score of 9,762.

According to the presentation posted by Associate Superintendent Stephanie Soliven, there were a few common responses among the survey. Common refrains included concerns about snow days, the need for two full weeks for winter break, and confusion about the difference between teacher workdays and professional development days. Teacher workdays are situated at the end of each grading period to allow teachers to grade assignments and enter them into the system for report cards. Professional development days allow for broader training activities for teachers and staff members.

The options were presented to the school board as an information item on Nov. 14.

Justin Wilk represents the Potomac district on the county school board. At last month's meeting, he went on his self-described "annual calendar rant."

"We hear a lot of the common themes, not just from members of PWEA but from the general teaching population of the number of hours of PD [professional development], the number of required meetings, the gradings, the lesson planning, and in my opinion, we could be more creative and look at solutions to address these areas," Wilk said.

Wilks proposed more out-of-the-box calendar planning for the future regarding how teacher workdays and development days are scheduled.

"We look at half days, and I look at half days because maybe it's a half day of instruction but the other half of the day could be an opportunity for teachers to do grading. Teachers can do what they have to do in their classroom, maybe they have that team meeting that would otherwise take a planning period," Wilk said.

Wilk's proposals for more creative calendars would not be implemented until the 2025-26 school year at the earliest.

Whichever calendar the school board approves will be posted on the PWCS website after Tuesday's meeting.