Dear Uxbridge Community:  

I have great news to share about our school calendar.  Earlier this year, I submitted a formal request to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) asking for a waiver of the state's 180-day instructional requirement. This request was tied to our closure on December 19, 2025, which was made in response to a significant influenza outbreak affecting students across all three schools — a decision made carefully and in consultation with the Uxbridge Board of Health.

On March 24, 2026, Commissioner Pedro Martinez approved our request — and the timing matters. Without this waiver, we would have been required to schedule a makeup day, which would have meant asking students and families to return to school on Monday, June 22 — the day after the Juneteenth holiday weekend. That would have been disruptive for everyone.

Instead, our school year will end on Thursday, June 18, 2026. The one change to note is that June 18 will now be a full day of school rather than an early release day. We think that is a very reasonable tradeoff, and we appreciate the Commissioner's practical and flexible approach in reaching this outcome.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during the flu season earlier this year. I'm glad we were able to avoid extending the school year into a Monday after a long holiday weekend, and I'm grateful to DESE for recognizing the public health circumstances that led to our closure.

Warmly,

Dave Ljungberg, Superintendent
Uxbridge Public Schools