Q: Do you support starting school before or after Labor Day?

Q: Do you support starting school before or after Labor Day?

This is one of the questions I am asked most often. When I joined the school board, I would not have expected the academic calendar to become one of the issues generating the most community conversation, but it has. That conversation has reinforced for me that the district's academic calendar is deeply personal for many families, students, and staff.

For many people, the conversation centers on whether school should begin before or after Labor Day. I understand why that question matters. At the same time, I believe the school board has a responsibility to ask a broader question: Which academic calendar best supports student learning, student and staff well-being, and the long-term success of our district?

I understand and respect that people have different perspectives. Some believe school should begin after Labor Day, while others support a pre-Labor Day start. Those opinions are shaped by family traditions, work schedules, extracurricular activities, academic pacing, your role in our schools, and individual experiences.

Stillwater Area Public Schools has started before Labor Day for more than a decade under a provision allowed in Minnesota law. The current three-year pilot was designed to evaluate whether beginning one week earlier within our existing pre-Labor Day calendar can better support student learning, student and staff well-being, and the overall school experience by aligning the conclusion of instructional periods with breaks from school and concluding the school year closer to the timing of Advanced Placement (AP), Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA), and other end-of-year assessments.

The first year of the pilot has now been completed and provides the first year of data that will help guide evaluation during the remaining two years. A pilot exists so we can gather information, evaluate results, and make thoughtful decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions.

One of the most important lessons I have learned as a board member is that meaningful engagement requires hearing from a broad cross-section of our community. Public meetings, emails, and conversations are valuable and important, but responsible governance requires understanding perspectives from across our district, including those who may not always participate in public discussions. I am encouraged that the district is strengthening opportunities to gather broader feedback from students, families, and staff throughout the pilot, and I encourage everyone to participate.

Student perspectives are an essential part of that evaluation because they are the individuals who experience the school calendar every day. Their voices deserve to be considered alongside family feedback, staff experiences, academic outcomes, student and staff well-being, and district operations. No single perspective should determine the outcome, but each contributes to a more complete understanding.

I supported the pilot because I believed it had the potential to improve and strengthen the overall school experience without additional cost to taxpayers. Whether those potential benefits are realized is exactly what the pilot is designed to evaluate.

At the conclusion of the pilot, I will consider what we have learned and make the decision I believe best supports students and the long-term success of our district. I do not believe this decision should be based solely on which side of the Labor Day question someone falls on. It should be based on evidence, broad community input, and what best serves students.

Responsible leadership means being willing to listen broadly, evaluate evidence, measure results, and make decisions based on what we learn. That is the approach I have brought to the school board, and it is the approach I will continue to bring to every decision if re-elected.