Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Sonia Dinnall speaks about the cyber incident that locked educators out of school systems beginning Sept. 1.
Reminder Publishing file photo
SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts law requires public school students to have 180 days of instruction during each school year. With Springfield students out of class during the week of Sept. 7 due to a cyberattack, the Curriculum and Programs Subcommittee reviewed the 2026-27 school year calendar to determine how that time could be made up.
Based on conversations with leadership from each of the educational unions, Superintendent Sonia Dinnall proposed amending the days off during winter break. Dec. 18 and Dec. 21, which are currently scheduled to be a half day and a day off, respectively, would be full days of instruction. Dec. 22 would become a half-day, and students and staff would still take off on Dec. 23 and Dec. 24. Schools are closed Dec. 25 for the Christmas holiday.
Students and staff would return to school on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5. Those days are currently scheduled to be part of winter break. A professional development day, on which students are off but staff work, was scheduled for Jan. 6. Because Sept. 11 was used for professional development, Jan. 6 would be changed to a day off. Students and staff would return to school on Jan. 7, and the calendar would move forward as planned.
Dinnall explained that school districts can request a waiver of the 180-day requirement if efforts to achieve that would take school into July. However, she said that even if weather causes the School District to use all five snow days that are built into the calendar, there would still be plenty of days left in June to make up lost time.
School Committee member Rosa Valentin asked if any exceptions would be made for staff and families that have vacation plans scheduled for the altered vacation days. School Committee member and subcommittee Chair Denise Hurst recalled a year when the calendar was adjusted. She said consideration was given to those circumstances. However, she said it would not be prudent to make plans for those days moving forward because the calendar changes are known.
Dinnall said Springfield Education Association Unit A leadership was “instrumental” in determining appropriate calendar changes, and she thanked all units for their input and flexibility.
The School Committee must vote whether to approve the changes at its Sept. 24 meeting.
