Earlier School Start, End Among Options For Next Loudoun School Calendar

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — After the Loudoun County School Board opted to keep a similar end to the school year on the latest school calendar, consideration of the next year's calendar will begin.

According to school board documents, two draft options for the 2027-2028 school year are being proposed by Loudoun County Public Schools staff. School calendars are typically approved far in advance to give families and staff adequate planning time.

The first calendar option would set Aug. 19, 2027 as the first day of school and June 14, 2028 as the last day which is similar to recent school calendars. Teachers would return to work on Aug. 13, 2027 and work through June 16, 2028.

The second calendar option proposes an earlier first day — Aug. 12, 2027. The last day would also be moved up to June 7, 2028. Teachers would return to work on Aug. 6, 2027 and work through June 9, 2028.

Oct. 28, 2027 would be a student holiday under option one but not option two. Jan. 14, 2028 would be a student holiday for option two, while option one would provide student holidays on Jan. 24 and 25, 2028. March 27, 2028 is a student holiday under option two, while April 3, 2028 would be the student holiday under option one.

Both calendars have 180 days, which is required under Virginia code unless the school year totals 990 hours of instruction. Nov. 24 to 26, 2027 is earmarked as Thanksgiving break. Students' winter break would run from Dec. 20 to Dec. 31, 2027 — New Year's Day on Jan. 1, 2028 falls on a weekend. April 10 to 14, 2028 is set aside as spring break.

The item was on the agenda Tuesday, but the school board ended up not discussing the matter due to time constraints. The original estimated date of school calendar adoption was June 10, but that date may change now that the presentation was pushed back.

Loudoun Now reported that the school board faced a lengthy public comment period Tuesday, part of which centered on the Policy 8040 on transgender and gender-expansive student rights and the recent transgender locker room encounter under investigation. Other items the public discussed were the Dulles South attendance zone proposal, an effort to expand space for the theater program at Broad Run High School, and a call for explanations on why a Rock Ridge High School theater teacher is on leave.