AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Richmond County School System is considering what it’s calling a “modified year-round calendar” – although the plan would still have a 7½-week summer break.

The longer school year would last from July 24, 2025, to May 29, 2026.

“Overall, I attended year-round school myself as a child and I think it’s just a better option,” said parent, Corina Ludwig.

She has an 8th grader at Belair k-8 and says the system would be great for working parents.

“I know some parents aren’t as fortunate as me. I work from home, I have a really flexible schedule, so we can make due with whatever decision is made but some parents don’t have that option.”

But nothing is set in stone.

“We’re just dropping the line in the water, seeing if anybody bites on it,” said school board president, Charlie Walker. “The main goal of this was to get feedback. Not only from the board, but mostly the community; the parents, teachers, possibly students.”

It would include a weeklong “intersession” period each semester for “intervention and enrichment.” In other words, students whose grades are perilous would need to go to class in those weeks, while other students wouldn’t.

“I think it’s a good idea, instead of waiting until the summer, pass or fail, ‘Oh, my child failed and now they’ve got to go to summer school’, instead of going that option, they are going that route of giving them that extra two weeks,” said Ludwig.

The intersession periods would adjoin a weeklong break for all students.

Students who don’t need extra help would get two weeks off.

Only some teachers would need to work during the intersession periods.

Modified year-round calendars are gaining favor across the CSRA, although they’ve made more inroads on the South Carolina side of the state line. Aiken and Edgefield counties are the largest districts in the CSRA to have adopted them so far.

The schedule, labeled Option 2, is one of two proposals the district is looking at.

Option 1 would follow a more traditional school calendar but would include a few online learning days.

Both options were outlined at Tuesday’s meeting of the Richmond County Board of Education, which is seeking public input before making a decision in March.

The proposals are posted online at https://rcboe.info/25-26RCSSCalendar, where the public can offer input until Feb. 15.

Here’s a closer look at both plans:

Option 1

The school year would be from Aug. 4-5, 2025, to May 22, 2026.

It would include four digital learning days, where students complete assignments at home on their school-issued devices. On these days, parents and guardians would be able to meet with school staff.

The summer break would last 10 weeks.

Highlights:

• Pre-planning for teachers: July 28 through Aug. 1.
• Staggered start dates: Aug. 4 and 5, 2025.
• Four online learning days.
• Three professional training days for teachers: Oct. 9, Jan. 2 and Feb. 13.
• Fall break: Oct 9-14: Two days off for staff, three days off for students.
• Thanksgiving break: Five days.
• Christmas/winter break: Nine days.
• Spring break: Seven days including Masters Monday.
• Last day of school: May 22, 2026.
• Post-planning for teachers: May 26-27.
• Summer break: 10 weeks.
• Summer school: June 2-30.

Option 2

Highlights:

• Pre-planning for teachers: July 17-23.
• First day of school for all students: July 24, 2025.
• No online learning days.
• Three professional training days for teachers: Sept. 2, Jan. 5 and Feb. 13.
• Fall break: Oct. 6-17.
• Five intersession days: Oct. 6-10.
• Thanksgiving break: Three days.
• Christmas/winter break: 10 days.
• Spring break: 10 days (no Masters Monday).
• Five intersession days: March 30-April 3.
• Last day of school: May 29, 2026.
• Post-planning for teachers: June 1-2.
• Summer break: 7½ weeks.
• Summer school: June 4-July 2.

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