The Newton Community School District is looking for public input on how the school calendars are laid out for the next two school years. Anyone who would like to provide a recommendation or comments is invited to attend a Community Engagement Meeting that begins at 5:30 p.m. this evening in the EJH Beard Administration Building on First Avenue East. The Business Services Director for the Newton Community School District, Tim Bloom, says passing a two-year calendar makes it easier for scheduling teacher development events.

“We have a new math curriculum, so there is always stuff with that. We will be looking to do science and social studies, and as curriculum cycles re-up, we have to plan our training and those types of things.”

Bloom says the only restrictions the state places on the school calendar are that it includes 180 days or 1,080 hours of class time, and the school year cannot begin before August 23rd. Public feedback from tonight’s meeting will be forwarded to the Newton School District’s Calendar Committee. That committee will then draft calendars for the 2026-2027, and 2027-2028 school years, which will be forwarded to the Newton School Board for consideration.