PEABODY — The School Committee recently approved the academic year 2026-27 calendar, with the first day for students in grades one through 12 set for Sept. 2, just before they get a four-day weekend for Labor Day.
This calendar was approved after much contention with a vote of 4-2, and with the help of a procedural tool that had not been used in the School Committee in quite some time.
Superintendent Josh Vadala gave an honest perspective on the calendar.
“It’s not a perfect calendar,” Vadala said. “But it does meet the contractual restrictions that we have.”
Committee member Suzanne Cox argued that more creative ways to schedule professional development days and acknowledge religious holidays should be considered.
Vadala noted that those considerations would differ from contractual provisions, and he would need to negotiate with the union to address those concerns, which would set back the approval process.
Committee member Pamela Milman sparked most of the debate, mentioning that the Committee should hold off on approving the calendar until an in-depth discussion is had.
“I think it is premature today to actually put it to a vote (for) this calendar, albeit, I understand it’s late, and everybody needs to create summer plans and end of the year plans and camp plans and all that, but I think given the amount of concern we’ve heard from the public about some dates and things like that… we shouldn’t be having (the vote) until we can have more public comment on it (and) until we have the union directly speak to it,” Milman said.
In response, Committee member Joe Amico said, “From my perspective, I think the union has been involved. I think we’ve all been involved. I think this is something that we look at every year. I think we just need to move forward. I think people need to know when they can take their vacations, when they can make their doctor’s appointments, and so forth.”
Vadala again noted that this calendar is one that follows the contractual obligations, with one slight deviation to get students out of school a day earlier on June 23, 2027, instead of June 24, 2027.
After some back and forth, the conversation came to an end with longtime Committee member Beverly Griffin Dunne “calling the question,” which meant that Mayor Ted Bettencourt needed to halt all discussion and take the vote on whether to approve the 2026-27 school calendar. Amico, Dunne, John Olimpio, and Brandi Carpenter voted in favor of the calendar, while Milman and Cox voted against it.
The ninth-grade orientation is scheduled for Aug. 27.
The first day of school for pre-K and kindergarten students is set for Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Thanksgiving recess will begin with an early release day on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Schools will reopen on Monday, Nov. 30.
The December break will begin on Dec. 23 with an early release day. Schools will remain closed until Monday, Jan. 4, 2027.
In February, schools will be closed starting on Monday, Feb. 15, 2027, and will remain closed for the week. Schools will reopen on Monday, Feb. 26, 2027.
The spring vacation, which is the final week-long break scheduled for the year, will begin on Monday, April 19, 2027. Schools will remain closed for the week and will reopen the following Monday, April 26, 2027.
The last day of school, if there are no snow days, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 23, 2027, and the high school commencement exercises are scheduled for Friday, June 4, 2027.
