CCS Board of Ed. to vote on next year's calendar Monday night
- Chuck Thompson
- Nov 6, 2025
- 4 min read
By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent
Next year’s school calendar could potentially be decided at the next Cleveland County Schools Board of Education public meeting, Monday, Nov. 10.
On the decision block are three different calendars, which vary in start dates, teacher workdays and end of semester before the holiday / winter / Christmas break.
Option A, which is the popular choice among parents, violates state law and is considered illegal. A violation of state law can result in, at the very least, a lawsuit from the state. However, historically there have been very few consequences for violating this law.
An example of when actions were taken involved Carteret County School Board, in June 2024, when Superior Court Judge William Wolfe ruled that the school board broke the law and he nullified their proposed calendar.
Option A: First day of school would be Aug. 12, with five teacher workdays before the first day for students. The semester would end on Dec. 18 and the last day of the school year for students would be May 26, 2026. A total of 178 student days and 16 teacher workdays.
Option B: First day of school for students would be Aug. 24, with six teacher workdays before the first day for students. The semester would end on Dec. Dec.21, with a teacher workday on Dec. 22. The last day of the school year for students would be June 4, 2026. A total of 178 student days and 16 teacher workdays.
Option C: The first day of classes would be Aug. 24, with seven teacher workdays before the first day for students. The school will take the winter holiday break after classes on Friday Dec. 18, followed by two teacher workdays on Dec. 22 and 23. Students would return to classes on Jan. 4 to begin testing and end the semester on Friday Jan. 15. The last day of the school year for students would be June 4, 2026. A total of only 177 student days and 17 teacher workdays.
All calendar options include 11 holidays and 10 leave days for staff.
State law for local education agencies (LEAs) G.S. 115C–84.2 states, the opening date for students shall be no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26, and the closing date for students shall be no later than the Friday closest to June 11. This puts option A in violation of state law and an illegal calendar; however, Option B falls within state guidelines, still ends the semester before Christmas and does not break North Carolina state law.
The Shelby Independent spoke with a few board members, not all responded, or refused to comment, or were not able to be contacted before the deadline for publication of this article. Three board members did respond to comment.
Ron Humphries requested the Shelby Independent refer to a social media post made in the evening of Nov 6. It was very long, but in part, Humphries wrote about the collaboration between CCC and CCS, “Suppose we had used the Monday closest to August 26th as our starting date for this school year. In that case, we could not have aligned the academic calendars of CCS and CCC. The lack of alignment results in a loss of approximately 15 days of instructional time, potentially compromising content acquisition, and may lead to a loss of credit opportunities and enrollment. This issue disproportionately affects students who urgently require career training and college-level content at no cost to themselves or their families. This disproportionate impact affects students identified by factors such as low socioeconomic status, minority status, and first-generation college status. CCS must align its schedule with the college to serve our students as prescribed.”
Humphries went on to explain his reasoning and why he was voting for Option A, stating, in part, “To fulfill my responsibilities and serve the best interests of our students, parents, and constituents, I am compelled to support Option A for the 2026-2027 school calendar. Upon taking my oath of office, I committed to upholding the Constitution and the laws of North Carolina. Regarding the starting date requirement outlined in GS 115C-84.2(d), I contend that this provision is incongruous with the North Carolina Constitution, GS 115C-47(1), as well as the definition of "a sound basic education" established in the 1997 Leandro v. State ruling. These statutes present conflicting and mutually exclusive mandates that I am unable to reconcile.”
Danny Blanton and Ronnie Grigg held an opposing viewpoint on the matter. Both sent comments when requested.
“Everybody in Cleveland County needs to be calling the state senate and the senate will not let it come off the rules to break the school calendar. I’m not breaking the law – I’m not going to do it,” Blanton said. “I want it so bad, but I can’t do it.”
Ronnie Grigg said, “I love the idea of early start I truly do. If the senators would do their job this could probably pass, however, it's not fair for board members just because they follow the law to be bullied and told how we don't care about the kids. I have told every single member I’m not asking that anyone votes with me because it's your vote, but I want you to listen to my opinion and hear me out. If they do that at least I feel like I voiced the concerns of the public. As an elected official I have to be the better man and follow the law even if it means someone will hate me.”
The Cleveland County Schools Board of Education will hold their regularly scheduled public meeting on Monday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. in the CCS auditorium.
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Chuck Thompson is a reporter and columnist for The Shelby Independent.
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