Survey results are in, the majority of parents and PCSD1 staff want the school year to end before June 1, and if the district’s new calendar passes that’s exactly what will happen for at least the next two years.

For the 2025-2026 academic year school will begin Aug. 21 and end May 28. For the 2026-2027 school year classes will begin Aug. 20 and end May 27.

In November, the school board voted to send out surveys to staff and parents in an effort to revamp the district’s calendar following concerns about school potentially going into June. At that time Park County School District 1 Superintendent Jay Curtis noted that it may be time to seek community input on the calendar like the district had done at the beginning of his tenure. 

Just over 200 staff members and 266 parents responded to the calendar surveys, Curtis explained to the board during Jan. 28’s board meeting where they discussed drafts of the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years.

“As I joked a little bit when we talked about going to survey … kind of what came back is everybody wanted to start after Labor Day, have a three day weekend in October, three days off for Thanksgiving, 14 days off for Christmas, a week off for spring break and end before June 1,” Curtis said.

The district cannot do all of those things, Curtis said, and when respondents were asked to prioritize what they wanted to see on the calendar about 70% of both parents and staff wanted the school year to end before June 1. Following that the most important thing to parents was a week off at spring break and 14 days off at Christmas, he said, so the start of the school year was moved further back into August.

“So those make a huge impact on when you have to start school,” Curtis said. “We were able to basically get everything we wanted in the calendar, with the exception of, obviously we're not starting after Labor Day, there's really no way to do that.”

However, the state Legislature could throw a wrench in the calendar plans, because if SF-72, the Summer Vacation Preservation Act, passes, the calendar will have to be reworked. The bill is sponsored by two Big Horn Basin legislators: Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams (R-Cody) and Rep. Dalton Banks (R-Cowley). The bill was first introduced in a similar form last year with Banks and Sen. Tim French (R-Powell) cosponsoring.

The Summer Vacation Preservation Act would require schools to start after Labor Day and end before Memorial Day, something that Curtis advocates strongly against as he did last year, he said. 

The reason for this is Wyoming’s school year is already five days shorter than about 40 other states, he explained, and if the school year were made to fit between Labor Day and Memorial Day most breaks would have to be cut out or reduced.

“But I’m telling you those breaks are really important to get through the school year,” Curtis said. “By the time we get to Christmas break staff and students are ready for a break; when we get to spring break, everybody is ready for a break.” 

For the ’26-’27 school year, Easter falls early and will be combined with the week-long spring break, he added. 

The calendar will be voted on at a future meeting. Those who wish to view the draft can visit park1public.ic-board.com.