2024-25 School Calendar Will End In June
Author: Linda Kent, MT 43 News Staff Reporter
2024-25 School Calendar Will End in June
Linda Kent
MT 43 News Staff Reporter
Townsend K-12 School District Board of Trustees adopted the 2024-25 school calendar at its regular April 9. For the first time in recent memory, the calendar will extend into the first week of June for both students and staff.
Late May school release dates recognize that many families rely on their children’s help on the farm or ranch, School Board Chairman Jason Noyes said. School start dates have also taken into account the county’s fair in early August.
Administrators and board members from the calendar committee explained that the later start date reflects a decision to keep at 11 the days between the Aug. 16 date set by the Montana High Schools Association for the start of fall sports practices and the first day of classes. Committee members also indicated the dates reflect lessons learned from the district’s first year with a four-day school week and the desire to end the school year after high school state meets.
High school graduation will be on June 1, 2025, with the last day of school for students on June 5.
The district’s calendar committee “put together what they thought was the most logical” balance for the calendar, Noyes said.
Several members of the community voiced concerns about the change.
Broadwater County Extension Agent Allison Kosto said the community sends around 15-20 students in grades 3-6, as well as high school-aged counselors, to regional 4-H camp during the first week of June. She added that the camp facilities have very limited availability and that changing the date would also depend on coordinating schedules with six other counties’ 4-H programs.
Middle and high school principals Brad Racht and Sheri Heavrin said they would see no issues with waiving absences for participating students for those days, given the academic nature of 4-H camp programming.
“It’s a workable situation,” Heavrin said.
Veteran teacher Lisa Gravely noted that teachers and staff retiring at the end of a school year ending in June would essentially miss one month of retirement pay from the state’s retirement fund.
The 2024-25 calendar reduces the number of Tuesday-Friday school weeks for students from seven to four. Parent Melinda Easter commented that switching between Monday-Thursday to Tuesday-Friday schedules has been a pain point for both parents and students.
Board members adopted the calendar in a 4-1 vote, Daniel Truesdell voting against.
