photo by: Joselyn King

Ohio County Board of Education members Anne Hercules, left, and Molly Aderholt share a laugh during Monday’s board meeting.

WHEELING — The proposed 2025-26 calendar for Ohio County Schools has students starting school in late August and concluding the school year in June.

A major change also sees the Wheeling Park High School graduation happening May 31 — the Sunday after Memorial Day.

Susan Nolte, human resources director for Ohio County Schools, and teacher Brackin Winland presented the proposed calendar to Ohio County Board of Education members during their Monday night meeting. It has students returning to the classroom on Aug. 27, with the last day of classes in the spring being June 5, 2026.

Thanksgiving break would take place Nov. 26-28, with winter break occurring Dec. 19-Jan. 4.

Students also are scheduled to have a full spring break in 2026, from March 28-April 6, under the proposed calendar.

The first of two required public hearings on the calendar took place Monday following its presentation. A second is set for 5:45 p.m. March 24 before the next board meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. that day at the board office. Members are expected to take action on the calendar at that time.

Calendar committee members developed a survey to assess the feelings of the public prior to presenting the calendar, which was shared on social media and pushed through the school district’s call-out service. Winland noted the survey received 1,468 responses — more than twice the number received last year.

“We had more responses in the first hour than we had last year. It was crazy,” she said. “It was mostly parents who participated, along with employees and students and some community members, as well.”

Participants were asked to consider three different calendars — one that started school on Aug. 21, one with a start date of Sept. 2, and the third compromise calendar starting Aug. 27.

Participants were asked to rank their selections one through three among the calendars. Calendars “A” and “B” each received about the same number of top ranks, with “C” further back in third place.

However, when the second choice votes were added in, “C” received 1,086 votes; “A,” 879; and “B,” 872. The committee thus recommended the “C” calendar, Nolte and Winland explained.

“When making these types of decisions, we want everyone to understand we are making a decision that will benefit almost 5,000 students in grades pre-K to 12,” Superintendent Kim Miller said. “We know AP testing at the high school takes place on a specific date, and it does not have any slide to it.

“So, we want to make sure we are giving our high school students all the opportunities for instructional time that we possibly can while taking into consideration the needs of our elementary and middle school students.”

After considering all aspects and all who are affected, calendar “C” was “definitely the best choice,” she added.

“This was the first time in 10 years — all the years we’ve been doing this — that we’ve had to use our remote learning days,” Nolte added. “We had our five snow days, then our five remote learning days, then we stopped.”

This school year, the last day for students remains scheduled for May 23 unless there would be any additional school cancellations, she said. WPHS graduation will take place May 18.