Cape district considers staggered start days for students next year

Cape Henlopen School District could be implementing a staggered start for students in the 2026-27 school year, giving an extra day to those in kindergarten and transitional grades to acclimate to their new environments before their older peers arrive.

A draft calendar lists Tuesday, Sept. 8, as the first day of school for kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade, and Wednesday, Sept. 9, as the first day for all other grades. 

“The transition to kindergarten, middle and high school represents one of the most significant adjustment periods in a student’s academic experience,” said Ned Gladfelter, director of human resources for the district. “So, we thought if we invest in a structured start, we would make the students feel more known and supported, help them to understand the expectations at each building, help them to learn to navigate the building independently and just have less anxiety when they’re starting.”

School board members reviewed the calendar during a meeting Feb. 26, and supported the tentative change.

“As a mom, I think this is a wonderful idea,” said member Jessica Tyndall, whose kids will be going into sixth and ninth grades next year.

A number of other school districts and vocational schools in Delaware, including Milford, Seaford, Delmar, Laurel and Indian River, already utilize staggered start schedules. 

In Cape, schools have reportedly been working together to develop a schedule that distributes the workload on that first day to avoid overburdening the kindergarten, sixth- and ninth-grade teachers.

There will be all hands on deck, and teachers of all grades will be involved in some capacity, Gladfelter said. He said the goal is to make it equitable for all the staff, so it isn’t just three grade levels working while the others get a planning day.

Superintendent Jenny Nauman said she’s excited about the possible change.

“Think if you’re a kindergartener, and you’re coming into an elementary school for the first time, how overwhelming that might be with the big fifth-graders,” Nauman said. “It gives you time to acclimate to the school and have a day where you can easily move about the school and know where the cafeteria is, how you get out to recess.”

If the calendar is approved, there will be a contingency plan in place for any students in other grades who show up that first day.

The school board has not yet taken official action on the calendar. It plans to have additional internal discussions before bringing it back for approval at a future meeting.

A finalized calendar is due to the Department of Education by April.