BOE creates two new weeks off for 25-26 calendar
The Oglethorpe County Board of Education unanimously voted to approve the 2025-2026 school calendar, which adds two weeklong breaks for students, at its meeting on Tuesday night.
The breaks, in October and February, will not reduce the number of school days, Superintendent Beverley Levine said.
“I’m excited about that,” Levine said after the meeting. “It’s good for kids to get that break.”
Levine also said the breaks are intended to allow teachers an opportunity to “recharge and get excited about coming back.”
The October break is scheduled for Oct. 6-10, 2025, and the February break is planned for Feb. 16-20, 2026. Oct. 6-7 and Feb. 19 will be teacher in-service days. Friday, Feb. 20 will be a system in-service day.
The 2025-2026 school calendar was approved at the same time as seven other items, including an adjustment to the 2024-2025 calendar for Oglethorpe County Primary and Elementary Schools as those students are scheduled to move into the new school next January.
OCPS and OCES will begin their winter break on Friday, Dec. 13, three days earlier than originally scheduled, and will return to school on Friday, Jan. 10, two days later than planned.
Oglethorpe County Middle and High Schools will follow the original calendar, ending with a half day on Dec. 18 and starting again on Jan. 8.
OCPS and OCES teachers will still work on the days originally scheduled, but they will be treated as teacher in-service days.
“Friday the 10th will be the first day in the new school,” Levine said. “Primary and elementary school teachers will have the eighth and the ninth to work in their room setting up.”
The BOE unanimously voted to approve the other items on the consent agenda, which included:
- Previous meeting minutes.
- A review of the BOE Code of Ethics.
- A review of the BOE Board Norms.
- The financial report for January 2024.
- The budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
- An increase in paid parental leave for school personnel from three weeks to six weeks.
In other business, the BOE:
- Heard comment from Kate Windley of Maxeys about funding for special education.
- Unanimously voted to approve the personnel report, which included four recommended appointments and four resignations.
- Unanimously voted to approve the Athens Area Community Foundation Resolution, allowing the foundation to accept donations on behalf of the school system.
- Unanimously approved an application to the Georgia School Boards Association for “Exemplary School Board Status.” The OCSS BOE received this designation in 2023.
- Approved the Fund 150 Budget for the 2024-2025 school year. This is money received by the school system from federal grants, Levine said.
- Received an update from Levine about the Strategic Planning Meeting held in May and the 2023-2024 Strategic Plan.
- Discussed a “residency audit,” requiring proof of residence in Oglethorpe County for students in kindergarten, third, sixth and ninth grades. Currently, proof of residency is required when registering students for kindergarten or for new students to the county. This will be discussed and voted on at the BOE meeting on July 16.