At its meeting Tuesday night, the Unalaska school board discussed various adjustments to the 2027-2028 academic calendar, including a later start to the school year and the elimination of the district’s spring break.
“The reason I took out spring break is because a week isn't long enough to leave, and it's so expensive to leave,” said preschool teacher Joni Scott, who submitted the calendar draft with no spring vacation. “So I put in some three-day weekends because I think a three-day weekend can really revive staff and students.”
Some teachers and board members also expressed interest in cutting the week-long spring vacation.
Elementary school Principal Riley Spetz said he’s intrigued by the idea.
“We have really good attendance in February and March usually, and so I think that utilizing that week of instruction could be really beneficial for kids,” Spetz said.
Several board members and teachers also said they like the idea of starting the school year about a week later than usual, around Aug. 25, to give families and staff more time to enjoy the island’s summer weather or to extend vacations off the island.
School officials will use feedback from the meeting to update calendar drafts. The school board will take final action to choose a calendar at their meeting on Feb. 17.
