Catholic board approves 2026-27 calender, sends to ministry

GUELPH – The Wellington Catholic District School Board approved the calendar for the 2026-27 school year during a Feb. 2 meeting. 

It’s an unusual calendar this year as it officially starts before Labour Day – but students won’t be going back to school until after the long weekend.  

Two professional development (PD) days are scheduled  for Sept. 2 and 3. 

Sept. 4 is a board designated holiday, and Sept. 7 is Labour Day Monday. 

The first day of school for all students will be Sept. 8.

Public consultation for the calendar was open from Jan. 5 to 12, and  executive superintendent Brian Capovilla said 16 people submitted feedback: “primarily a mix of staff and parents.” 

He said much of the feedback centred around the two September PD days. 

These are scheduled before the students go back to school in order to meet ministry requirements, something it seemed the people giving feedback didn’t understand, Capovilla said. 

The province mandates that there be 194 days in a school year, including between three and seven PD days. 

In order to fit in those 194 days, plus holidays, between September and June, “we have to use those two days,” Capovilla said, referring to the PD days on Sept. 2 and 3. 

All schools will also have PD days on Nov. 27 and June 30.

Elementary schools will be closed for PD days on Oct. 26, Jan. 29 and June 4.

The Oct. 26 PD day aligns with the municipal election, so that the elementary schools can be used as polling stations, Capovilla noted.

Though high schools won’t have a PD day that day,     he said it’s still possible for voting to take place a the schools with students present: “we’ve done that before and can do that again.” 

PD days in high schools are set for Feb. 2 and 3, and June 29.

Schools are set to be closed for winter holidays, from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, and for March break, from March 15 to 19.

The last day of school for elementary students is set for June 29.

High school students’ last day is set for June 21, followed by exams from June 22 to 28.

High school students are also set to write exams from Jan. 25 to Feb. 1.

Capovilla said staff worked closely with the Upper Grand District School Board in preparing the calendar, and “both of our calendars are aligned with each other.

The Catholic board is set to send its calender to the Ministry of Education for its final stamp of approval.