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While their peers savor the last weeks of summer vacation, kids at Kneeland School are heading back to class a little early this year as the district moves to a year-round schedule — the first of its kind in Humboldt County. 

The new school year will begin on Aug. 11 and continue through June 25, 2026, with several extended breaks in between, including three weeks for Spring Break and one week each for Fall Break and Presidents’ Break, in addition to the standard time off for Thanksgiving, Winter Break and other scheduled holidays.

The shift away from the traditional two- to three-month summer vacation might sound like a bummer for the students, but teachers and administrators are hopeful that the continuous or “balanced” calendar, which redistributes the standard 180 days of instruction required in most states, will help improve learning retention and address learning loss that occurs over extended breaks.

“Over the years, teachers have noticed that they spend the first month or month and a half of school reviewing material that they had already covered during the previous school year,” Kneeland School District Secretary Cherie Circe told the Outpost. “At first, everybody thought, ‘Oh, no! Who wants to shorten their summer?!’ But after the district presented it as an issue of learning loss and reteaching from the previous year, the families got on board, and the teachers were excited about it.”

The district, which serves two dozen students from transitional kindergarten up to eighth grade, surveyed parents and teachers earlier this year to get a better idea of scheduling preferences. Not surprisingly, their primary request was to ensure that the new schedule lined up with other local school districts to accommodate family vacations.

“We also had to coordinate with the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) … and they were really excited to see if this was going to work for us. I mean, I’m excited to see if it’s going to work for us,” Circe continued. “In the spring, when we go to set our calendar for next year, the school board is going to seek feedback from teachers and families to learn if there was burnout or any other issues, and we’ll go from there.”

Reached for additional comment, HCOE Superintendent of Schools Michael Davies-Hughes told the Outpost that other school districts have explored calendar adjustments in years past, including Fortuna High School and Ferndale Elementary, but no one has “elected to stretch the instructional school year over a greater span of time” in the way that the Kneeland School District has. 

“The Kneeland School District’s decision to adopt a modified schedule for the 2025-26 school year reflects a thoughtful, research-informed approach to addressing the challenges of summer learning loss — an issue that many districts across the county and state continue to grapple with,” Davies-Hughes wrote via email. “[W]e have seen evidence across the county that extended breaks can impact student retention and achievement, particularly for our most vulnerable learners. Districts are increasingly looking at calendar innovations, targeted interventions, and expanded learning opportunities to mitigate these effects.”

Additional information can be found in the press release below:

Kneeland, CA – Kneeland School has announced a modification to the traditional elementary school calendar for the 2025-2026 school year to address summer break learning loss.

Superintendent Greta Turney stated, “This decision was made with careful consideration of our students’ academic progress and the overall well-being of our school community. We recognize the impact this may have on family schedules, and we are committed to supporting our students and families during this transition.”

Key updates include:
• First day of school: August 11, 2025
• New last day of school: June 25, 2026
• Break dates:
   o Fall Break: October 13-17, 2025
   o Thanksgiving: November 26-28, 2025
   o Winter Break: December 22, 2025 – Jan 9, 2026
   o Presidents Break: February 16-20, 2026
   o Spring Break: April 13, 2026 – May 1, 2026
   o Other Scheduled Holidays: Labor Day- Sept 1, Staff Day- Nov 10, Veterans Day Nov 11, Martin Luther King Day- Jan 19, Memorial Day – May 26, Juneteenth- Jun 19.
• Transportation services will continue as normal during the modified schedule.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to review the updated calendar on the district’s website at http://humboldt.k12.ca.us/kneeland_sd/ and reach out to school administrator with any questions.

“We are grateful for the continued support of our families, staff, and community as we work together to provide the best possible learning experience for our students,” said Superintendent, Greta Turney.

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