Fairfax County’s school board voted Thursday on changes to the 2026-27 school year calendar. The changes are in response to parents criticizing the lack of five-day school weeks.
The school board approved two of the three proposed calendar changes. They include converting Veterans Day to a school day and limiting the number of early releases for elementary schools.
The school board’s agenda also proposed making Indigenous Peoples’ Day a school day. That measure failed to pass with a vote of 7-4.
Fairfax County school board member Melanie Meren posted on Facebook that, “Our policy states that school will be in session on Veterans Day so that the Friday after Thanksgiving can be a holiday, since this is not a federal holiday.”
Elementary school early release days are now limited to no more than eight per school year.
Meren posted that the school board will be updating its calendar policy in May to guide revisions to the 2027-28 and 2028-29 calendars. The board will make its final vote on those calendars by July 9.
Feature image David Fuentes/stock.adobe.com
