BY MATT LAMB
Insider Staff Writer
A deadlocked vote by the Board of Education earlier this week prompted the adoption of a “traditional” rather than an “early start” calendar for the 2027-2028 school year.
For years, several members of the school board have lambasted the General Assembly and its school calendar legislation, the 2004 bill that established a framework that dictates when traditional public schools can start and end their school years.
While there is unanimity among the board that allowing students to start the year earlier and end the first semester before the holiday break is a boon for students, parents and staff, some board members remain unwilling to buck the state law for fear of potential consequences.
Current legislation ensures that students return to the classroom no earlier than the Monday closest to Aug. 26 and are released for summer no later than the Friday closest to June 11.
The law that has drawn the ire of many districts across the state was initially a product of a collective effort between the tourism industry and “Save Our Summers,” a civic organization that pressured the legislature to prevent students from returning to school earlier in the summer.
Multiple districts have chosen to break the state calendar law to align with local community colleges and allow high school students to take final exams before the winter holiday break.
In January, Moore County Schools posted a proposed “traditional” calendar for public comment. Unprompted and absent the option, 40 percent of respondents requested “ending the semester before winter break for students to complete exams and align with Sandhills Community College courses,” according to a Central Office staff report.
As a result, Deputy Superintendent Jamie Synan and her team put together a hypothetical “early start” calendar — in breach of North Carolina state law — for the school board’s consideration.
“The recommendation that I’m coming forward with is to approve the ‘traditional calendar,’” said Interim Superintendent Jenny Purvis at the board’s most recent business meeting. “We have put the ‘early start’ calendar in there for your review. We know that is currently being looked at, and if the state were to come back and allow us to do that, I wanted to make sure that we have that ready to go so that it’s a quick transition.”
Board member Pauline Bruno has long been a staunch opponent of the General Assembly dictating when Moore County Schools’ students must return to class.
“For years I have been pushing the ‘early start’ because it’s the only thing that makes sense,” said Bruno earlier this week. “Phil Berger has lost by 23 votes to Sheriff Sam (Page), so I don’t understand why we can’t go ahead with this.”
Bruno was referring to Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, who stands in opposition to school calendar flexibility. Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page ran a grass-roots campaign to unseat Berger for the state’s 26th Senate District. Page currently leads by 23 votes, but overseas and military votes are still being counted. With such a narrow threshold, Berger is expected to request a recount that stands to spur litigation.
“This is what our families want,” Bruno continued. “This is the best thing for our faculty. This is the best thing for our students. I don’t know why we’re sitting back on this.”
Board member David Hensley followed Bruno and suggested a substitute motion, beckoning a vote on the “early start” rather than the “traditional” calendar.
“I’ve been advocating this for a very long time; everyone knows my position,” said Hensley. “The current calendar law is there because of one person, Sen. Berger, who’s the president of the North Carolina Senate, and that’s him caving to the hospitality industry on the coast.”
Hensley continued, “The worst part about the school calendar law is the break over Christmas. That is made for students to drop their pack. They finish their semester, they take their finals, they do all their end-of-term papers, they drop their pack, and they can relax and unwind for two weeks.”
Last year, board member Steve Johnson said that while he was prepared to support an “early start,” the district couldn’t afford the potential ramifications of operating in breach of state law.
Earlier this week, Johnson changed course. “Last year, I was worried about laws being passed that would bring harsh repercussions to not following this law. That law never passed; it never saw the light of day.
“The General Assembly can’t even pass a budget, so I can’t see how they’d pass a law like that, reasonably. So, I’m for it. Anytime you have a chance to do what’s best for kids and best for families, I think you should take it, and in this case, I’m going to reconsider it and take that chance.”
Purvis, who has held a variety of positions in the district, said she recognizes that the school system needs calendar flexibility, but hearkened to her legal obligation as a superintendent.
“It’s the best thing for students. It is the best thing for families. We’ve all wanted it. The reason my recommendation doesn’t share and echo that is that when Sen. (Tom) McInnis stood here and administered my oath, I placed my hand on the Bible and swore that I’m going to uphold the law, and for that reason, I can’t recommend it.
“That doesn’t mean that I don’t think it’s the best thing; I think it is the best thing, and I hope that it gets changed. As soon as the law is changed, we have one (calendar) ready to go, and we’ll be ready to flip it at my recommendation.”
Board member Amy Dahl echoed Purvis’ view on the calendar’s legality.
“I, too, remember taking an oath to uphold the law, and I want people to trust that I will uphold laws and not pick and choose,” Dahl said. “Otherwise constituents would have to worry, ‘What does Amy Dahl think is a bad law that she feels free to flaunt?’”
Board Chair Robin Calcutt added, “I agree with Ms. Purvis and Dr. Dahl. I cannot go against the law, the current law, although, again, I agree with this. I want it to happen sooner rather than later.”
Hensley’s substitute motion in favor of the “early start” calendar died for a lack of a majority in a three-to-three vote. With board member Shannon Davis absent, Hensley, Bruno and Johnson voted in favor of the measure, while Calcutt, Dahl and Ken Benway voted against it.
With the “traditional” calendar back on the table, Johnson shifted gears, saying the district needed to have a definitive calendar on the books for the 2027-2028 school year, and the motion passed 4-2.
The school board and Central Office staff will continue to monitor any potential changes in the General Assembly that may mollify the current calendar law.
Contact Matt Lamb at (910) 693-2479 or mlamb@thepilot.com.
