Students will no longer need to study over Winter Break because, next year, finals will be before break
The Board of Education finalized the 2024-25 calendar on Dec. 7 endorsing a notable change in scheduling – concluding the first semester before winter break.
Dr. Kelly Sollberger, head of the calendar committee and director of human resources, said the committee was planning to make this change for the 2025-26 school year but felt it was possible to implement it as early as next year.
“We decided that it’s best for our students to be able to end their courses and take finals prior to leaving for winter break,” Dr. Sollberger said.
The first day of school will be Aug. 19 and the last day will be May 23. There will also be an early dismissal day before break begins on Dec. 19.
Because first semester will end before winter break, there will be an imbalance of days between the first and second semesters. First semester will have 83 and second semester will have 93. Dr. Sollberger said this happens often and will even out in the long run.
“What we find is that you end up losing more instructional days during second semester because of MAP testing and state EOC testing,” she said.
For the past four school years, final exams were scheduled post-winter break due to complications arising from a Missouri Law. The law requires schools to start no earlier than 14 days before Labor Day. Dr. Sollberger said the law gives the calendar committee very few extra days to work with.
“If you want to get out before Memorial Day, there’s no way to do it unless you keep the schedule pretty tight,” Dr. Sollberger said.
Joshua Hyde, social studies teacher, supported the decision to shift the calendar back, emphasizing that concluding the semester before winter break is best for students.
“It’s a little bit easier on the students to have [winter break] in line with how the semester ends versus having to come back after two weeks off and take finals,” Hyde said.
Hyde said a major difficulty of the current schedule is getting students to study and prepare for finals over break.
Ivy Wang, sophomore, said she appreciates not having to study over break in the future.
“It reduces students’ stress during winter break, and it just feels better, more complete,” Wang said.
A struggle she said she had last year was forgetting information over break and having to study harder for finals.
“Information will just leave your brain if you don’t have finals right before Winter Break,” Wang said.
Many of her classes have already moved their finals before break, so Wang said it won’t be a major transition next year.
