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Welcome to “May-Cember”: 5 Steps for Closing Out the School Year (And Preparing for Your Next Launch)
by William D. Parker
It’s the end of the school year, and the last month of school is often the busiest. My wife likes to call this month “May-cember” because, next to Christmas, there’s not a busier time for school leaders.
When people outside of education ask what you do at the end of the year and how you prepare for summer, you may want to smile, knowing that wrapping up a school year and managing summer to-do’s can be a heavy lift. There’s a common assumption that once the school year ends, school leaders simply step away for a couple of months. And while you may have opportunities for rest and time with family, you know the reality is more complex.
I like to use the cruise ship analogy. You’ve just finished a full voyage with your students and staff. The building begins to quiet, but your work shifts. The passengers have disembarked, and now you’re preparing the ship for the next journey.
Even in the summer, schools don’t fully stop. There are still students in the building, programs running, and responsibilities that continue. At the same time, these weeks give you a critical window to finish well and begin building momentum for the year ahead.
From my own years as a principal, and from watching other leaders navigate this season well, here are a few suggestions to consider. These aren’t meant to be prescriptive. Every school and team is different. But I hope they offer something helpful as you reflect on your own context.
1. Create a working list you can return to each year.
You face many of the same responsibilities this time each year: reports, scheduling, hiring, budgeting, and communication. Instead of starting from scratch each year, consider building a running list you can revisit and refine.
Over time, that list becomes a reliable guide. It helps you stay organized, reduces decision fatigue, and ensures important details don’t get overlooked during a busy season.
2. Be intentional about sharing responsibility.
You are not meant to carry this work alone. As you close out the year, take time to clearly define who owns which responsibilities.
When your team knows their roles, multiple priorities can move forward at once. Clear communication, shared documents, and regular check-ins help everyone stay aligned. This approach not only improves efficiency but also builds trust and develops leadership capacity in others.
3. Adjust your pace to protect energy.
The end of the school year is demanding. If you move straight into summer at the same pace, burnout can follow quickly. Keep a sensible schedule where you can.
Consider how you might adjust schedules to create more focused work time and space for recovery. Shorter days, flexible hours, or intentional planning windows can make a difference. When you and your team have time to recharge, the work you do tends to be more thoughtful and effective.
4. Collaborate on the work that matters most.
Some tasks can be completed independently. Others require deeper thinking and shared perspective.
When you’re working through complex challenges like staffing, master scheduling, or program decisions, invite others into the conversation. You will often find better solutions when you draw on the collective insight of your team.
5. Make rest part of the plan.
It can be tempting to treat rest as something you’ll get to if time allows. In reality, it needs to be intentional.
As you plan the end of the semester and the summer ahead, think about how you can ensure coverage while also encouraging your team to truly step away. Give yourself permission to do the same. Time to rest and reset is not a luxury. It is part of what allows you to lead well when the new school year begins.
Let’s Wrap This Up
As you move through these final weeks and into the summer, remember that how you finish this year will shape how you begin the next.
You may not complete everything on your list, and that’s okay. Leadership always involves more priorities than time allows. But with a clear sense of focus, shared responsibility, thoughtful pacing, collaboration, and intentional rest, you can position your team for a strong start.
You’ve already led through a full year of challenges and successes. This next phase of your journey is an opportunity to reflect, reset, and prepare for what comes next.
