School Calendar For 2024–25 Discussed By Wayne School Board

WAYNE, NJ — The Wayne Board of Education approved an updated school calendar for the district for the upcoming 2024–25 school year.

Under the updated calendar, the last day of school for students—and the high school graduation date—is June 24, 2025. This year, the last day of school is June 19, leaving some parents and other board members concerned that the school year is running too long.

Superintendent of Wayne Schools, Dr. Mark Toback, addressed some parents' concerns during the Dec. 21 meeting, stating that the administration did review the calendar but that there were not any plausible alternations that could be made to the calendar.

Toback said the board of education has been working toward finding a way to end the school year earlier in June, but due to contractual obligations, mandated school holidays and the 180-day requirement, it has been difficult.

During the Dec. 7 board work session, President Don Pavlak explained that the crux of the problem has to do with the mandated 180 days.

"You have 180 that you need to fit in between Sept. 1 and June 30. If you want to end school earlier, then you have to come up with additional days not to take off. Some of these breaks are built in educationally because they fit at a good time so kids are not in school for three months straight without a day off. You try to balance it," Pavlak said.

In the past, the Wayne Board of Education created a committee to come up with solutions to end the school year earlier, but they could not agree on dates to take off the calendar, Pavlak said.

"I'd love to say we are getting out of school on June 19. Ok, but where do we fit in the 180 days between Sept. 1 and June 30?" Pavlak said.

One board member recommended removing snow days from the school calendar to shorten the school year, but Pavlak countered that doing so could have the opposite effect and lengthen it.

"You have a bad snow year; you're going to June 30. You give and take," Pavlak said.