GREAT FALLS — A proposed Great Falls Public Schools calendar for the 2025-2026 academic year is stirring conversation as many people have noticed a shorter spring break.
Every year, the district releases school calendars two years in advance to give families ample time to plan. In February, three draft calendar options are put to a community-wide poll to determine a preferred version.
UNDERSTANDING THE CALENDAR PROCESS:
Once voting has ended, a committee and HR work together to select a final calendar that best aligns with both community preference and Montana state requirements.
“It’s a complicated process,” said GFPS HR Director Luke Diekhans. “There’s a lot of factors that need to be addressed such as MCA code holidays, the 187 instruction days, end of quarter days, and how that aligns with assignments and testing. There’s a lot of pieces that go into it.”
When voting for the 2025-2026 school year calendar, a total of 1,294 community members and parents voted in the poll via Google Drive.
The poll was open for around three weeks before closing. Additionally, 816 people participated in the 2026-2027 district calendar last February.
“If you talk to the vast majority of parents, they would want school to start later, they would want a long Christmas, a long spring break, and school to end earlier - and you just can't have all of those things,” explained Kim Skornogoski, a Calendar Committee member.
Diekhans added, “We understand wholeheartedly they want to be able to take that full week of vacation. We try to meet it in the middle of someplace. It isn't always perfect, but we do our best and take the advice of the committee.”
The district encourages parents and community members to get involved so that more preferences can be taken into consideration.
The next poll for the 2027-2028 school year calendar will likely open up around February of next year.
