Policy IC
School Year and School Year Calendar
Board Approved: January 5, 2026
A. School Year.
The student school year shall be a minimum of 180 instructional days or, alternatively, the equivalent number of hours as required in the rules of the N.H. Department of Education (see Ed 306.15).
The school year for teachers and other certified professionals shall be determined by the Board, applicable collective bargaining agreement, or individual contract.
The school year for support staff shall be determined by the Board, applicable collective bargaining agreement, or individual contract.
The school calendar will be established annually as described in paragraph D below.
B. School Closures.
Any days that the schools are closed for emergency reasons and are not designated by the Superintendent as remote learning days (see paragraph C below) will be made up at the end of the school year or during recess periods, as approved by the Board upon the Superintendent's recommendation. Under special circumstances the Board may request an exception to this requirement from the State Board of Education.
In the event schools are closed for excessive days for emergency reasons, the Superintendent may recommend to the School Board a revised schedule that satisfies all Department of Education requirements, but which may amend the number of days in the school year.
C. Remote Learning During Inclement Weather.
If inclement weather makes it unsafe to safely transport students to or from in-person instruction, the Superintendent/designee is authorized to designate that day as a remote learning day. Before remote instruction is used as instruction that day for the purpose of satisfying the minimum instructional day/hour requirements of the N.H. Department of Education, the Superintendent shall ensure that a plan exists with procedures to promote and allow for participation by all students in any affected school.
Prior to approving and designating a day as a remote instruction day, or any school/district-wide remote instruction that is dependent on technology, the Superintendent/designee will consider the impact that the inclement weather event might have on necessary technology.
Remote instruction will only count toward required instructional days/time when conducted in accordance with N.H. Dept. of Education Rule Ed 306.18. See also Board policy IMBA.
D. School Calendar.
The school calendar will be developed by the Superintendent and submitted to the Board by February 15. The Board should approve the final calendar by March 31. Any exceptions or revisions to the calendar thereafter must be approved in advance by the Board.
The Superintendent shall ensure that the calendar conforms to the number of actual days of instruction and employment as required by law, board policy, and staff contracts.
To the extent possible, the calendar will be coordinated with the school calendars of the applicable Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers, regional special education programs, and other districts in the SAU.
Additionally, the calendar must align with the calendar established by any applicable Regional Career and Technical Center Agreements (RCTEA), with exceptions only as allowed under RSA 188-E:1-a, III.
The high school graduation date shall be set no more than 5 school days or 30 instructional hours before the end of the scheduled school year. In the event that the number of days/hours lost to inclement weather exceeds 5 days/30 hours, the Superintendent shall confer with the New Hampshire Department of Education as to whether graduating students will be required to make up the lost days/hours. [Endnote 1]
E. Holidays.
Pursuant to RSA 288:4, III, any holiday included in the school calendar that corresponds to a State “legal” holiday shall use the name for such holiday as designated in RSA 288:1. As of 2024, these include: January 1, Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Day, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. All schools receiving State funds are required to observe Veteran's Day. Additionally, such names shall be used on any “official” communication, publication, document or calendar.
District Policy History:
First reading: December 15, 2025
Second reading/adopted: January 5, 2026
District revision history: Adopted May 21, 2018.
NH Statutes
RSA 188-E:1-a
RSA 189:1
RSA 189:24
RSA 288:1
RSA 288:4
NH Dept of Ed Regulation
N.H. Code Admin. Rules Ed 306.15
N.H. Code Admin. Rules Ed 306.15(f)
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