Stillwater Area Public Schools is beginning the 2025-2026 year with a pre-Labor Day start.
“I’m excited, but I’m a little nervous. And I’m a little upset because it’s so soon,” said Senyi Berisa, a junior at Stillwater Area High School.
Previously, secondary students started a week before Labor Day, and elementary students started after Labor Day.
However, this year, all students start the week of Aug. 18.
“I wish that I had more time for summer, but it’s not that bad. I mean, what can we do,” Berisa said.
One parent is speaking out against the change.
“I don’t love that they have to start school earlier, knowing that they got out later this last year, but that’s the first year of change. But as far as I know, we’re all starting to adapt to the change, and there’s nothing we can do about it at this point except go with it and hope for the best,” said Ashley Cegielski, a parent.
Cegielski has two boys in elementary school.
In October, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS spoke to Cegielski after she started a petition against the school calendar change. She said 1,500 people signed the petition.
She said parents are still raising concerns about it.
“Like, about 8:30 this morning, there was a mom that put on our St. Croix Valley mama’s Facebook group just asking, like, who likes the insanely early start date? And you know, only four hours later. So at like, 12:30. Now there’s 175 votes. And 155 of them are no. So 88% of the people who have already voted have said no,” Cegielski said.
The district said it provided parents with a year and a half of advance warning to give them time to plan for the new start date.
A spokesperson said the change aligns with natural breaks in the school year.
“So at MEA, first quarter’s over. At winter break, second quarter’s over. People can go take time off, be with their family, and come back and start a fresh new semester. And then we’re done at spring break with third quarter, and we’re done before Memorial Day. So the intent of that, again, is just to give kids and staff a true break,” said Carissa Keister, Chief of Staff/ Executive Director of Communications at Stillwater Area Public Schools.
She said the district understands why parents have raised flags about it.
“Our school board decided to try this on kind of an experimental basis. Let’s try it for a few years and see what happens. It definitely is a change. I think for all of us, even working in the district this summer felt shorter than normal, but at the same time, I’m excited to see the benefits that it, that it can have for our kids,” Keister said.
In addition, the district made changes to start times. Elementary students start an hour early. Secondary students start later.
There is also a no cell phone policy during school for students.