New Hybrid Schedule Introduced Amid Budget Adjustments
Liberty Hill ISD has approved the calendar for the 2025-26 academic year after a comprehensive process that included gathering feedback from parents, teachers, and staff throughout our community. The Board of Trustees officially adopted the calendar during their regular meeting on February 18, 2025.
Community-Informed Decision Making
The district's approach to calendar development was notably inclusive, with input collected through multiple channels including surveys, feedback forms, emails, and a dedicated town hall meeting. Community members shared perspectives on school day length, instructional time requirements, and overall calendar structure, all of which influenced the final design.
Budget-Conscious Adjustments
The new calendar reflects necessary adaptations following a $4.5 million budget reduction that will result in cutting more than 50 positions across the district. These financial constraints mean teachers will face increased workloads, larger class sizes, and reduced classroom support in the coming year.
To help manage these challenges, LHISD has introduced a hybrid schedule that includes select Fridays designated as teacher workdays rather than instructional days. This strategic approach aims to provide educators with essential planning and collaboration time, reduce teacher fatigue, support retention of quality staff, and improve recruitment efforts.
Key Dates and Structure
The upcoming school year will feature 160 instructional days with an additional 10 minutes added to each school day to ensure students receive the required 75,600 educational minutes mandated by the state. Key dates in the calendar include:
First day of school: August 12, 2025
Early release day before winter break: December 19, 2025
Last day of school: May 28, 2026
Graduation ceremony: May 29, 2026
The calendar also includes 20 professional development days and banks one bad-weather day. In response to community feedback, high school will start earlier than middle school to minimize class time missed for extracurricular activities, with final start and end times to be determined by the end of the 2024-25 school year.
This modified calendar represents Liberty Hill ISD's commitment to balancing educational quality with fiscal responsibility while considering the needs of students, teachers, and families in our community.
