Carteret County School Board votes to start school on August 26

BEAUFORT, N.C. (WITN) - There has been an ongoing legal battle in Carteret County ever since the school board planned to adopt a new calendar. Today, parents finally know when their kids will start classes this upcoming school year.

Last year, the Carteret County School Board announced plans to change the calendar for the 2024-2025 school year.

The start date for classes was changed to August 13 instead of August 26. However, state law says public schools cannot start before the 26th.

Earlier this month, a judge ruled in favor of a lawsuit filed against the school district by residents who wanted the school calendar changed.

One school board member says not adopting the proposed calendar is unfair to students.

“It’s not just because we think we should have the ability to make our own decisions. There are reasons backing it. The innovative and early college high schools, the charter schools, have that calendar flexibility and we feel like that gives them a leg up. Whether they’re applying for colleges, jobs, there’s lots of things it affects. We’re just hoping the conversation is started” says board member Dana Mull.

The school board voted to appeal the ruling and ask for a stay of the order.

Thursday, a superior court judge nullified the stay appeal.

Friday – the school board voted unanimously to begin the upcoming school year on August 26.

Mull says the ruling doesn’t mean it’s over. “We as a board have agreed to dismiss the appeal. However, this does not mean that we are backing down in the sense that we cannot take any action for the 2024-2025 school year. We have adopted a calendar that complies with the statute to the best of our ability”.

The calendar agreed upon today is similar to what students had before COVID-19, a traditional school year calendar with classes beginning on August 26.

For more information on Carteret County Public School and to see the new calendar click here