One-Hour Later School Start Begins January 5, 2026

One-Hour Later Start for Students Starting Monday, January 5, 2026

The Oregon School District Board of Education approved a 1-hour later start for students on Mondays. The decision was made during the April 14, 2025 School Board meeting after months of discussion, data analysis, and community engagement.  The Board meeting discussion can be viewed here, starting at 14:44, courtesy of OCA Media.

What This Means for Families

The decision to begin the one-hour later start in January 2026 rather than at the beginning of the school year (as previously proposed) gives families more time to plan for the schedule change. Here’s what this means for families and students:

• Starting January 5, 2026, students in grades K-12 will start school one hour later every Monday morning.
• Free child care for those without other options will be available at each K-6 school during the one hour that teachers are meeting; based on survey results, we are confident we will be able to accommodate all students who have no other care options (registration will take place this summer).
• Students in 4K will have class Monday-Thursday during the 2025-2026 school year and no 4K on Fridays. Starting Monday, January 5, 2026, the 4K Monday session times will be adjusted. Families will receive communication as to the specific 4K session times later this spring. Note that 4K is able to be held on Monday-Thursday for the 2025-26 school year because the later start begins in January, which allows us to meet the required number of instructional hours for 4K. Starting in the 2026-27 school year, 4K will be held on Tuesday-Friday.
• The calendars for the 2025-26 school year along with the 2025-26 daily school schedule can be found on our website: www.oregonsd.org/district/calendar.

Why PLCs Are Important

The Board and the administrative team values Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) because when educators collaborate together in a structured way with the goal of examining evidence of student learning and make instructional decisions based on what they learn, student achievement increases. We are committed to ensuring educators have the time and resources to provide each student with responsive instruction that leads to increased student achievement. Therefore, the Board has approved a 1-hour later start for students on Mondays beginning Monday, January 5, 2026.  We are committed to doing what is best for student achievement, and at the same time, understand the impact of this change on families.

What’s Next

Families can expect ongoing communication of details and logistics as we move forward. We will be working with community partners to help families connect and find solutions. The OSD childcare registration will be sent to families this summer.