Dear Southern Boone School District Families,
The Southern Boone Board of Education met this month and received an update from district administrators on the draft district calendar for the 2026-2027 school year. We wanted to share that information with you and highlight key details, including the proposed 169 student instructional day calendar.
VIEW THE DRAFT 2026-2027 DISTRICT CALENDAR HERE
Calendar Committee Process
The District Calendar Committee began work on the 2026–2027 calendar on January 6th. The committee includes district administrators, building principals, one teacher from each building, and one non-certified staff member.
The committee:
Reflected on last year’s calendar and the current school year
Discussed priorities and considerations for 2026–2027
Reviewed and revised staff and parent/community calendar surveys
Calendar surveys were distributed on January 7th and remained open through January 13th. The committee met again on January 14th to review survey feedback and draft the proposed calendar.
Calendar Requirements and Considerations
When developing the calendar, the committee was required to ensure:
A minimum of 1,044 student instructional hours
Include six built-in snow days totaling 40.8 hours
Teachers are contracted for 180 days
In addition, recent revisions to Missouri state law provide additional state funding incentives for districts that operate a 169 student day calendar. Southern Boone has been only two days short of 169 days in each of the past two school years.
After reviewing these factors, district administrators and the calendar committee agreed it would be in the district’s best interest to include 169 student instructional days in the 2026–2027 calendar to qualify for additional state funding in the future.
Updated DESE Guidance
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has issued updated guidance related to inclement weather, instructional hours, and the new 169 student day calendar provision. This guidance reflects changes adopted by the Missouri Legislature through SB 727 (2024) and subsequent clarifying legislation.
Missouri law continues to require districts to provide 1,044 hours of actual student instruction, regardless of the number of days on the calendar. However, new provisions emphasize total student days and offer financial incentives for districts that adopt a 169 student day calendar.
Key Components of a 169 Student Day Calendar
Meets all state requirements while maintaining the 1,044-hour minimum
Allows AMI days to count as instructional days and hours when implemented correctly
Maintains inclement weather forgiveness, protecting Southern Boone from funding loss when closures are required.
State Incentive Funding
Districts operating 169 student days or more during the 2026-2027 school year are eligible for additional state funding of 2% of prior-year state aid that would be awarded for the 2027-2028 school year.
All incentive funds must be used to increase teacher salaries or compensation packages, supporting recruitment and retention. It is important to note that this is not an automatic 2% increase added to salary schedules, but the percentage is based on the total amount of state funding our school district receives.
To Reach 169 Student Instructional Days, The Proposed Calendar:
Converts one April teacher professional development day into a student instructional day
Converts one flex day into a student instructional day
Parent-Teacher Conference Schedule Update
Parent-teacher conferences will continue to be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with no school on the following Friday during one week in November and one week in March.
A consistent concern raised by teachers was the ability to attend their own children’s conferences. To address this:
Conferences will be held 4 p.m.–7 p.m. on Tuesday evening
A 12:30 p.m. early dismissal is scheduled on Thursday
Teachers will have 1 p.m.–3 p.m. on Thursday for classroom work or to attend their own children’s conferences
Conferences will be held 3 p.m.–7 p.m. Thursday evening
Highlights of the Proposed 2026–2027 Calendar
New Teacher Training: August 11–12
Teacher PD Days: August 17–20 and August 24
First Day of School: Tuesday, August 25
No School: Friday, September 4
Homecoming Parade: 12:30 p.m. early dismissal on Friday, October 2
Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences
Tuesday, November 10: 4:00–7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 12: 12:30 p.m. early dismissal
Thursday, November 12: 3:00–7:00 p.m.
No school Friday, November 13
Thanksgiving Break: November 25–27
Winter Break: December 21–January 1
Teacher PD Day: Monday, January 4
Spring Conferences
Tuesday, March 2: 4:00–7:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 4: 12:30 p.m. early dismissal
Thursday, March 4: 3:00–7:00 p.m.
No school Friday, March 5
Spring Break: March 29–April 2
No School: Friday, April 30
Last Day of School: Tuesday, May 25 (12:30 p.m. early dismissal)
Summer School: June 2–24 (no school June 18 or 25)
Key Calendar Details
Teacher contract: 180 days
Teacher workdays: 176
Parent-teacher conference days: 2
Video training day: 1
Flex day: 1
Total instructional hours: 1,096.60
Includes six built-in snow days totaling 40.8 hours
DESE minimum requirement: 1,044 hours
Total student instructional days: 169
Next Steps
The draft 2026–2027 district calendar and this information are being shared with all staff and parents. If needed, the District Calendar Committee may meet again to finalize the draft.
The proposed calendar will be presented to the Board of Education for approval at the Tuesday, February 17 board meeting.
Thank you for your continued feedback and engagement throughout the calendar development process.
Yours in Education,
Dr. Tim Roth
School Superintendent