Calendars and Schedules

Find the latest calendars and information about the calendar process below.

Apply to serve on PSD's Calendar Committee

The PSD Calendar Committee is accepting applications to fill open seats through Monday, April 15. The application is available here. PSD parents/guardians are encouraged to apply for an open position, which include: 

  • One parent/guardian 
  • One classified staff member 
  • One Facilities staff member 
  • One IT staff member 
  • One elementary staff member 

New members selected to serve on the committee will begin their three-year term in August 2024. Learn more about the committee’s responsibilities below. 

2023-24 School Year

 

2023-24 Graduations

If you have questions about a celebration, please reach out to the school.

Tuesday May 21, 2024 - Fort Collins Senior Center, Prairie Sage Room

  • General Ed Diploma/OU, 6 p.m.

Wednesday May 22, 2024 - Lincoln Center Performance Hall

  • Poudre Global Academy, 10 a.m.
  • Polaris, 3 p.m.

Thursday May 23, 2024 - Lincoln Center Performance Hall

  • Poudre Community Academy, 10 a.m.
  • Poudre High School IB Convocation, 3 p.m.
  • Centennial High School, 7 p.m.

Friday May 24, 2024 - CSU Moby Gym

  • Rocky Mountain High School, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday May 25, 2024 - CSU Moby Gym

  • Fort Collins High School, 9 a.m.
  • Poudre High School, 1 p.m.
  • Fossil Ridge High School, 5:30 p.m.

 

2024-25 School Calendar

Approved by the Board of Education Nov. 28, 2023.

District elementary and secondary calendars show professional development days for elementary and secondary staff.

  • Calendar Committee presentation to the board: 

PSD Calendar Survey 2023

Data from the 2023 PSD calendar survey is available here.

Every two years, the Calendar Committee distributes the calendar survey, asking our community to provide information about your priorities and values in a school year calendar. Please keep in mind that this survey is only intended to gather information. Participation in this survey is not a vote on a specific calendar.  

PSD's Calendar Committee will use a variety of data and information, including this survey data, to make determinations about what calendar for the 2024-25 school year to recommend for adoption to the Board of Education. This recommended calendar for the next school year will be presented to the board for approval in November 2023.  

PSD Calendar Committee

The Calendar Committee's charter states the responsibilities of the committee. View the charter here.

The Calendar Committee includes representatives from schools, teachers, classified staff and parents. Those interested in serving on the Calendar Committee are welcome to contact Co-Chairs Alicia Bono and Melanie Mierzwa for more information. This committee wants to be as inclusive as possible and consider the many perspectives in our PSD communities. Members of the committee: 

  • Alicia Bono (committee co-chair, aliciab@psdschools.org ) - district employee (admin) and parent  
  • Melanie Mierzwa (committee co-chair, mmierzwa@psdschools.org) - district employee (admin) and parent 
  • John Robinson – Poudre Education Association president
  • Joni Baker – Association of Classified Employees president
  • Natasha Michaud – district employee (Information Technology) and parent
  • Becky Woodcox - district employee (licensed/teaching)
  • Ryan Bishop - district employee (licensed teaching)
  • Sarah Vaughan - district employee (licensed/teaching)
  • Alex McAnally - district employee (licensed/teaching)
  • Erich Wonsavage - PSD chief human resources officer

Elements in the School Calendar

Elements the committee incorporates into the calendar, as well as overall guidelines followed when creating a school calendar.  

For elementary schools:

  • 175 elementary student contact days
  • 360 hours of student class time in the first semester (determines full-time student funding for PSD)
  • 990 hours of student class time during the school year
  • Three conference/exchange days (two in the fall, one in the spring - no students at school) 

For secondary schools:

  • 176 secondary student contact days
  • 360 hours of student class time in the first semester (determines full-time student funding for PSD)
  • 1080 hours of student class time during the school year
  • Two conference/exchange days (one in the fall, one in the spring - no students at school)
  • One transition day for sixth- and ninth-grade students only

For all schools:

  • Six building work days (no students at school) designed for staff professional development, work on planning and implementation of building and district goals, on-site teacher work time
  • Two teacher work days (no students at school) to assist in grading and reporting, class preparation, other tasks (usually the first Monday in January and the third Monday in May)

Calendar Guidelines

The PSD Calendar Committee follows these guiding principles when creating the calendar:

  • Start as late in the summer as possible to avoid heat
  • Ending 1st semester before winter break, allowing for final exams before the break
  • Maximize class time before state-mandated testing (March/April) and Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate testing (April/May)
  • Adhere to Colorado State Statutes for meeting required class time
  • Adhere to the PSD Employee Agreement
  • Attempt to sensitively schedule school breaks
  • Align Spring Break with Colorado State University
  • Logical holiday breaks for families
  • Common Sense Clause – sometimes the simplest solution is the best

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the timeline for board adoption of the calendar? The PSD Board of Education adopts calendars for the subsequent school year by the end of each calendar year.
  • Why does the first semester end before winter break? If the first semester went into January, more days would be included in first semester. One of the values we have for high school students is that it is better to complete course work and final exams before leaving for a two-week winter break. Until the committee sees a need to change this practice, first semester will be scheduled to end before winter break.

Contact Information

School Calendar Committee Contact
Melanie Mierzwa, Riffenburgh Elementary School principal | mmierzwa@psdschools.org  | 970.488.7938

Alicia Bono, Cache La Poudre Middle School principal | aliciab@psdschools.org | 970.488.7402.