BY KARISSA MILLER
The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education voted on Monday to approve the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school calendars to help families plan vacations and other activities.
The board voted 5-0 in favor of the proposed calendar Option A for traditional students and separate calendars for the early college and N.B. Mills Elementary School that start sooner than N.C. law allows. Board member Brian Sloan, who attended the meeting, did not vote on the motion because he was not in the room at the time.
2026-2027 Calendars
Traditional School Calendar 2026-2027
-Under the approved calendar, students would begin classes on August 12, 2026. The last day of school is May 27, 2027. Students would take their final exams for their first semester courses before winter break. Students would attend school for 179 days.
Early College Calendar 2026-2027
-Early colleges would begin on August 12, 2026, and end on May 27, 2027 for a total of 179 student days.
NB Mills Elementary Calendar 2026-2027
-N.B. Mills Elementary follows a year-round calendar. The school year begins August 3, 2026, and ends on June 18, 2027, for a total of 177 student days.
2027-2028 Calendars
Traditional School Calendar for 2027-2028
-Traditional Schools begin on August 11, 2027, and the last day of school is May 25, 2028. High school students to take their final exams for their first semester courses before winter break. Students would attend school for 177 days.
Early College Calendar 2027-2028
-Early Colleges will begin on August 11, 2027 and end on May 25, 2028 for a total of 177 student days. If Option 1 is chosen, the Traditional and Early College would be aligned for all days.
N.B. Mills Elementary Calendar 2027-2028
-N.B. Mills Elementary follows a Year-Round Calendar. The school year will begin August 2, 2027 and end on June 16, 2028 for a total of 177 student days.
N.C. School Calendar Law
Each year, board members are divided about the decision to adopt the school calendar. The district staff presents the board with one option that has an early start date and another that follows N.C. calendar laws.
N.C.’s law requires public schools to start “no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26 and end by the Friday closest to June 11.”
Board member Cindy Haynes said that she struggled with the decision on how to vote, but ultimately decided to put students’ best interest above legal mandates.
“The early calendar just makes sense. Why don’t our state representatives not see that?” Haynes said.
According to Superintendent Jeff James, the law was pushed by the tourism industry, which wants a uniform summer vacation season.
“I voted no against the last four years because I took an oath and don’t like breaking an oath. The reality is it’s the right thing to do ultimately,” said Chairman Doug Knight, who voted in favor of the earlier calendar.
James told the board that right now there is no punitive action if a board doesn’t obey the school calendar law, but that will probably change in the future.