2026-27 & 2027-28 Academic Calendars Approved

The Rolla Board of Education approved the 2026-27 and 2027-28 Academic Calendars at the January 8th meeting. These calendars were submitted with the input from the district’s calendar committee, comprised of teachers, support staff, parents, and secondary student leaders. While the calendar looks similar to years past, the upcoming year posed some unique challenges.

Since the passage of RSMo 171.031 in 2019 (first implemented in 2020-21), the earliest possible start date in Missouri Public Schools has been dictated by the state. Schools are not permitted to start their school year more than fourteen days prior to Labor Day, as mandated by law. In 2026 and 2027, Labor Day falls on September 6th and 7th, respectively, pushing the start date later into August. This poses a challenge, particularly for our secondary students in credit-bearing classes. Forcing the start date later shortens the first semester and squeezes instructional time to complete finals before winter break. 

For the past several years, the district has utilized a concept referred to as the “max calendar” format. This essentially builds in all necessary time to accommodate any days missed for extenuating circumstances, such as weather. This means that weather days do not need to be made up, and the academic calendar typically does not change. This allows faculty, staff, and families to plan with confidence for any necessary appointments, vacations, etc. 

The calendar committee discussed Thanksgiving Break at length during this session; however, given the above information, it proved difficult to add more days into the first semester without taking away from winter break. There is very little wiggle room when it comes to designing the calendar once all the legal and professional requirements have been met. The approved academic calendars for both years closely resemble those utilized in the past few years.