In their first virtual meeting since the COVID pandemic due to inclement weather, Milford School District Board of Education reviewed the proposed calendar for 2026-27. This was the first read of the calendar and the board will vote on it at their regular meeting in March. The board amended the agenda to eliminate anything that was not an action item.
“We invited participation through the MEA and opened the committee to the various work groups along with administrators several of the participants also had the perspective of being parents in the district which added another lens to the conversation,” Dr. Laura Bond, Human Resources Director, said. “We reviewed key considerations that typically shape the calendar and worked together to develop a draft as a start.”
The committee then reviewed the draft and made adjustments based on what was discussed at a second meeting, continuing to meet and revise the calendar over time. Once they had a final version, Bond explained they send a draft to the district’s education community as a whole to get feedback.
“At the final meeting in February, we reviewed the feedback and while we did get a lot of positive responses, many of the suggestions reflected individual preferences rather than clear trends across respondents, so there weren’t any strong patterns that suggested any additional changes,” Bond said. “The calendar that we are presenting reflects that process and we are bringing it to the board for consideration.”
Bond was asked if the start of school before Labor Day was due to the election which requires schools to be closed on specific days. Bond explained it was actually because Labor Day was late this year. Board Vice-President Matt Bucher asked how instructional hours compared to this year and Bond stated that there were less hours due to the election.
“Well, we were over 30 hours or so this year,” Bucher said. “And we’re still in excess of the state’s recommended instructional hours.”
Bond explained that one of the main drivers behind the reduction of student days was to provide additional opportunities for the staff to undergo some professional development.
“We’ve had a lot of what is referred to as non-academic trainings that are required, things like child abuse awareness, sexual harassment in the workplace,” Bond said. “All of these things are required to be completed on a regular basis, and so to start off this current school year, we have very little time for teachers to prepare classrooms and engage in professional development, so we’re looking to increase those opportunities for staff members to start the school year.”
Board member Ashlee Connell asked if there were two opportunities for parent-teacher conferences, one in the fall and one in the spring. Bond confirmed that there were.
“I was just making sure because I like that,” Connell said. “That gives parents two chances to chat with the teacher.”
According to the draft provided in the packet, new employee orientation will take place August 13 through 18 with staff returning August 19. The first student day will be August 31. Schools are closed on September 15 for the primary election. They will also be closed November 3 for the general election, November 4 for professional development day and a half day Thursday for Return’s Day.
Schools are closed on Wednesday, November 11 for Veteran’s Day. The week of Thanksgiving, schools are closed the entire week for students, although staff must report a few of those days for professional development. The Winter Break will begin Wednesday, December 23 with students returning on January 5. Spring break will begin on Friday, March 26 and end on Tuesday, April 6.
The last student day is planned for June 9 and the last teacher day June 11. June 14 and 15 will be reserved for weather make up days if they are necessary.
The entire draft calendar can be viewed on the district website. The district will accept public comments at the March meeting related to the calendar and will vote on the draft at their meeting planned for March 16.
