packages/scheduler_core/lib/src/scheduling/backlog.dart

@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ library;
 // scheduler so the engine can focus on moving tasks through time.
 
 import '../domain/models.dart';
+part 'backlog/board/backlog_board_bucket.dart';
+part 'backlog/board/backlog_board_bucket_policy.dart';
+part 'backlog/board/backlog_board_bucket_resolution.dart';
 part 'backlog/queries/backlog_filter.dart';
 part 'backlog/queries/backlog_sort_key.dart';
 part 'backlog/staleness/backlog_staleness_marker.dart';

packages/scheduler_core/lib/src/scheduling/backlog/board/backlog_board_bucket.dart

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 FocusFlow contributors
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
+
+part of '../../backlog.dart';
+
+/// Stable column identifiers for the V1 Backlog board.
+enum BacklogBoardBucket {
+  /// Schedule-ready tasks that are good candidates for the next open slot.
+  doNext,
+
+  /// Tasks that need a deliberate focused block before they should be scheduled.
+  needTimeBlock,
+
+  /// Tasks whose size or effort suggests planning smaller child tasks first.
+  breakUpFirst,
+
+  /// Low-pressure or intentionally deferred tasks that should stay out of the main queue.
+  notNow,
+}

packages/scheduler_core/lib/src/scheduling/backlog/board/backlog_board_bucket_policy.dart

@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 FocusFlow contributors
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
+
+part of '../../backlog.dart';
+
+/// Deterministic V1 policy that assigns backlog tasks to board columns.
+class BacklogBoardBucketPolicy {
+  /// Creates the default V1 backlog board bucket policy.
+  const BacklogBoardBucketPolicy();
+
+  /// Resolves the board bucket for [task].
+  ///
+  /// [hasChildTasks] is supplied by the application read layer after it has
+  /// looked up child task metadata. The policy stays pure and does not read
+  /// repositories directly.
+  BacklogBoardBucketResolution resolve({
+    required Task task,
+    bool hasChildTasks = false,
+  }) {
+    if (task.backlogTags.contains(BacklogTag.wishlist)) {
+      return const BacklogBoardBucketResolution(
+        bucket: BacklogBoardBucket.notNow,
+        reason: 'Saved for someday.',
+      );
+    }
+    if (_isLowPriority(task.priority) &&
+        !_isOtherwiseUrgent(task: task, hasChildTasks: hasChildTasks)) {
+      return const BacklogBoardBucketResolution(
+        bucket: BacklogBoardBucket.notNow,
+        reason: 'Low pressure and not urgent.',
+      );
+    }
+    if (task.durationMinutes == null &&
+        !_isReadyToSchedule(task: task, hasChildTasks: hasChildTasks)) {
+      return const BacklogBoardBucketResolution(
+        bucket: BacklogBoardBucket.notNow,
+        reason: 'Needs an estimate before scheduling.',
+      );
+    }
+    if ((task.durationMinutes ?? 0) >= 90) {
+      return const BacklogBoardBucketResolution(
+        bucket: BacklogBoardBucket.breakUpFirst,
+        reason: 'Large enough to break into smaller steps.',
+      );
+    }
+    if (_isHard(task.difficulty)) {
+      return const BacklogBoardBucketResolution(
+        bucket: BacklogBoardBucket.breakUpFirst,
+        reason: 'High effort; smaller steps may help.',
+      );
+    }
+    if (hasChildTasks) {
+      return const BacklogBoardBucketResolution(
+        bucket: BacklogBoardBucket.breakUpFirst,
+        reason: 'Already has child-task planning.',
+      );
+    }
+    if ((task.durationMinutes ?? 0) >= 45) {
+      return const BacklogBoardBucketResolution(
+        bucket: BacklogBoardBucket.needTimeBlock,
+        reason: 'Needs a focused time block.',
+      );
+    }
+    if (_isHighPriority(task.priority)) {
+      return const BacklogBoardBucketResolution(
+        bucket: BacklogBoardBucket.needTimeBlock,
+        reason: 'High priority work.',
+      );
+    }
+
+    return const BacklogBoardBucketResolution(
+      bucket: BacklogBoardBucket.doNext,
+      reason: 'Ready for the next available slot.',
+    );
+  }
+
+  /// Whether [priority] should stay out of the main queue when no urgent signal exists.
+  bool _isLowPriority(PriorityLevel? priority) {
+    return priority == PriorityLevel.veryLow || priority == PriorityLevel.low;
+  }
+
+  /// Whether [priority] should be treated as important enough to plan deliberately.
+  bool _isHighPriority(PriorityLevel? priority) {
+    return priority == PriorityLevel.high || priority == PriorityLevel.veryHigh;
+  }
+
+  /// Whether [difficulty] indicates the task should be broken down first.
+  bool _isHard(DifficultyLevel difficulty) {
+    return difficulty == DifficultyLevel.hard ||
+        difficulty == DifficultyLevel.veryHard;
+  }
+
+  /// Whether [task] has any signal that should override low-pressure handling.
+  bool _isOtherwiseUrgent({
+    required Task task,
+    required bool hasChildTasks,
+  }) {
+    return _isHighPriority(task.priority) ||
+        (task.durationMinutes ?? 0) >= 45 ||
+        _isHard(task.difficulty) ||
+        hasChildTasks;
+  }
+
+  /// Whether [task] has enough scheduling information for board planning.
+  bool _isReadyToSchedule({
+    required Task task,
+    required bool hasChildTasks,
+  }) {
+    return task.durationMinutes != null ||
+        _isHighPriority(task.priority) ||
+        _isHard(task.difficulty) ||
+        hasChildTasks;
+  }
+}

packages/scheduler_core/lib/src/scheduling/backlog/board/backlog_board_bucket_resolution.dart

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 FocusFlow contributors
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
+
+part of '../../backlog.dart';
+
+/// Result returned by [BacklogBoardBucketPolicy] for one backlog task.
+class BacklogBoardBucketResolution {
+  /// Creates a bucket resolution with the selected [bucket] and user-facing [reason].
+  const BacklogBoardBucketResolution({
+    required this.bucket,
+    required this.reason,
+  });
+
+  /// Board bucket selected for the task.
+  final BacklogBoardBucket bucket;
+
+  /// Short user-facing explanation for why the task belongs in [bucket].
+  final String reason;
+}

packages/scheduler_core/test/scheduling_engine_test.dart

@@ -316,6 +316,100 @@ void main() {
       expect(view.stalenessMarkerFor(task), BacklogStalenessMarker.purple);
     });
 
+    test('backlog board bucket policy covers all default columns', () {
+      const policy = BacklogBoardBucketPolicy();
+      final doNext = Task.quickCapture(
+        id: 'do-next',
+        title: 'Reply to emails',
+        createdAt: now,
+        priority: PriorityLevel.medium,
+        reward: RewardLevel.medium,
+        difficulty: DifficultyLevel.easy,
+      ).copyWith(durationMinutes: 20);
+      final needTimeBlock = Task.quickCapture(
+        id: 'need-time-block',
+        title: 'Review budget',
+        createdAt: now,
+        priority: PriorityLevel.high,
+      ).copyWith(durationMinutes: 30);
+      final breakUpFirst = Task.quickCapture(
+        id: 'break-up-first',
+        title: 'Build dashboard',
+        createdAt: now,
+      ).copyWith(durationMinutes: 120);
+      final notNow = Task.quickCapture(
+        id: 'not-now',
+        title: 'Visit Japan',
+        createdAt: now,
+        backlogTags: const {BacklogTag.wishlist},
+      ).copyWith(durationMinutes: 20);
+
+      expect(
+        policy.resolve(task: doNext).bucket,
+        BacklogBoardBucket.doNext,
+      );
+      expect(
+        policy.resolve(task: needTimeBlock).bucket,
+        BacklogBoardBucket.needTimeBlock,
+      );
+      expect(
+        policy.resolve(task: breakUpFirst).bucket,
+        BacklogBoardBucket.breakUpFirst,
+      );
+      expect(
+        policy.resolve(task: notNow).bucket,
+        BacklogBoardBucket.notNow,
+      );
+    });
+
+    test('backlog board bucket policy uses deterministic precedence', () {
+      const policy = BacklogBoardBucketPolicy();
+      final somedayLarge = Task.quickCapture(
+        id: 'someday-large',
+        title: 'Start someday company',
+        createdAt: now,
+        backlogTags: const {BacklogTag.wishlist},
+      ).copyWith(durationMinutes: 120);
+      final hardFocused = Task.quickCapture(
+        id: 'hard-focused',
+        title: 'Write strategy',
+        createdAt: now,
+        difficulty: DifficultyLevel.hard,
+      ).copyWith(durationMinutes: 60);
+      final lowButFocused = Task.quickCapture(
+        id: 'low-focused',
+        title: 'Organize closet',
+        createdAt: now,
+        priority: PriorityLevel.low,
+      ).copyWith(durationMinutes: 60);
+      final missingEstimate = Task.quickCapture(
+        id: 'missing-estimate',
+        title: 'Clean up files',
+        createdAt: now,
+      );
+
+      expect(
+        policy.resolve(task: somedayLarge).bucket,
+        BacklogBoardBucket.notNow,
+      );
+      expect(
+        policy.resolve(task: hardFocused).bucket,
+        BacklogBoardBucket.breakUpFirst,
+      );
+      expect(
+        policy.resolve(task: lowButFocused).bucket,
+        BacklogBoardBucket.needTimeBlock,
+      );
+      expect(
+        policy.resolve(task: missingEstimate).bucket,
+        BacklogBoardBucket.notNow,
+      );
+      expect(
+        policy.resolve(task: missingEstimate, hasChildTasks: true).bucket,
+        BacklogBoardBucket.breakUpFirst,
+      );
+    });
+
     test('unchecked quick capture goes to backlog', () {
       const service = QuickCaptureService();