West Utica Elementary

2025-26 School Calendar Update

Utica Community Schools and the Utica Education Association are continuing to work collaboratively and productively toward a successor agreement to their Collective Bargaining Agreement. 

The new calendar will make important changes designed to strengthen the partnership between our schools and families. The changes will ensure students have a stronger start to the school year by providing opportunities for families to have more information about their child’s classrooms and teachers.

A strength of Utica Community Schools is the effective relationships that are created between staff, parents and students. With these changes, we begin building those relationships at the very beginning of the school year.

ELEMENTARY:
At the elementary level, parents will have an earlier opportunity to meet their teachers before the first day of school.  As UCS continues to implement innovative approaches to enhance community engagement, traditional mid-September Open House events will be replaced with an earlier, before-school event so that students and parents can meet their teachers prior to the first day of school.  

Utica Community Schools with the support of the Utica Education Association will be hosting a “Meet the Teachers” event at elementary schools on Monday, August 25, 2025 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.  (DeKeyser Elementary will hosting its “Meet the Teacher” as part of its Open House Celebration on Sunday, August 24 from 2-4 p.m.).

At these events, families will be warmly welcomed to their school and classrooms, suggested school supplies may be dropped off, and students can meet other classmates. Additionally, information previously communicated to parents at Open House will be made available to parents by the end of the first week of school through electronic communication, class newsletters, and/or printed handouts.   

The goal of this change is to create a positive experience for families prior to the opening of school. It also provides parents with important class and curriculum information more efficiently and earlier in the school year than ever before.   

JUNIOR HIGH & HIGH SCHOOL:
At the secondary level, rather than a traditional Open House, teachers will be providing electronic and virtual opportunities to better convey information to parents using the UCS learning management system, Schoology.  Parents can expect to receive communication from their junior high or high school principal at the end of the first week of school alerting parents about the availability of course information. 

Upon accessing Schoology, parents can expect to view their student’s course syllabi and expectations along with a welcome message and course overview from the teacher.  Parents will also find teacher contact information, grading procedures and how to access additional course assistance. 

Similar to the elementary Open House change, this process will provide important class and curriculum information to parents more efficiently and earlier in the school year than ever before. 

2025-26 VACATION CALENDAR:
Finally, we recognize families are anxious to make plans for the upcoming school year.  While UCS and the UEA continue the bargaining process, an agreement was made to release the 2025-26 UCS vacation calendar for everyone’s planning purposes. 

• Monday August 25, 2025 Elementary Building “Meet the Teacher” 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. (DeKeyser will have its open house on Sunday, August 24 from 2 to 4 p.m.)

• Tuesday, August 26, 2025 Students 1^st Day of School – Elementary Half Day; Secondary Full Day 

• Labor Day Holiday No School Friday, August 29, 2025 – Monday, September 1, 2025 

• Wednesday, September 17, 2025 No School; Teacher Full Day DPPD 

• Wednesday, October 22, 2025 No School; Teacher Full Day DPPD 

• Election Day Tuesday, November 4, 2025 No School; Teacher Virtual DPPD Day 

• Thanksgiving Holiday No School Wednesday, November 26, 2025 – Friday, November 28, 2025 

• Winter Holiday Break No School Monday, December 22, 2025 – Friday, January 2, 2026 

• Wednesday, January 14, 2026 No School Teacher Full Day DPPD Day 

• Monday, January 19, 2026 No School MLK, Jr. Holiday 

• Mid-Winter Break No School Monday, February 16, 2026 – Friday, February 20, 2026 

• Spring Break No School Monday, March 30, 2026 – Friday, April 3, 2026 

• Memorial Day Holiday No School Friday, May 22, 2026 – Monday, May 25, 2026 

• Last Day of School Wednesday, June 10, 2026