By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa Community School Board held a regular meeting last night and approved their academic calendar for the 2026-27 school year. The first day of school for K-12 students will be on August 24, while the last day will be on May 27, 2027.

There is one major change beginning next school year for Oskaloosa students: Wednesdays will be full school days with no more early dismissals on those days. In exchange, there will be a few additional days during the year when teachers will be working, but students will not be in school. According to the district, this adjustment will help with instructional time for students while still meeting required staff professional learning and work time.

The full calendar can be viewed here.

The board also held a public hearing for their proposed property tax levy for Fiscal Year 2027. The proposed levy of approximately $14.30 per $1,000 of taxable valuation is about $0.40 higher than last year’s levy of approximately $13.90. 

Superintendent Mike Fisher explained that the proposed number will likely not match the final number, which is expected to be lower.

Fisher added that the increase in the levy largely boiled down to rising special education costs.

The next regular meeting with the Oskaloosa Community School Board is scheduled for April 14.