2026-2027 calendar predictions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As my kid mentioned it’s ridiculous that they use to start in Labor Day and be done by June 15, and now they start two weeks before Labor Day and still finish about the same time (or later because of missed snow days).

At some point folks are going to realize we can’t cater to everyone’s preferred days off and make a reasonable calendar without a bunch of worthless half days.

I don't think they have started two weeks before Labor Day. It has been the week before Labor Day or the week after for many years.

One week or two weeks, the point is still the same. We start before Labor Day and end at the same time as when we started after Labor Day.

This trying to preserve summer is nonsense also since most people don’t have 9/10 weeks of time off and thus for little kids are trying to find costly camps and grandparents to take care of them. This is people’s brains once again making them believe that summer is an idyllic time when everything slows down and kids and families are just allowed to enjoy life and bask in the sun. It’s not reality for most.

Start two weeks before Labor Day. Give teachers the day off at the end of the quarter plus one joint professional day and a floating professional day. Make the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving no instructional, and stop the Easter Monday nonsense.

Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are required to be off per the state. I'm sure MCPS would love to not have to tie spring break to Easter and to have just 5 school days off rather than 6.

MCPS could still have fewer days off for spring break, if they did Thursday-Friday and then Mon-Tuesday after Easter. There is no law that says they must be closed a full week + extra day.

Other school districts do a few days at spring break, not 6+ school days. When my youngest was in ES, there was one year that spring break was the week before Easter, Easter Monday, and a teacher workday on the following Tuesday.

What school districts don’t do at least a week for spring break? (Maybe not 6 days, but a full 5.). I can’t imagine doing less than a full week off would be popular or even tolerable for most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As my kid mentioned it’s ridiculous that they use to start in Labor Day and be done by June 15, and now they start two weeks before Labor Day and still finish about the same time (or later because of missed snow days).

At some point folks are going to realize we can’t cater to everyone’s preferred days off and make a reasonable calendar without a bunch of worthless half days.

I don't think they have started two weeks before Labor Day. It has been the week before Labor Day or the week after for many years.

One week or two weeks, the point is still the same. We start before Labor Day and end at the same time as when we started after Labor Day.

This trying to preserve summer is nonsense also since most people don’t have 9/10 weeks of time off and thus for little kids are trying to find costly camps and grandparents to take care of them. This is people’s brains once again making them believe that summer is an idyllic time when everything slows down and kids and families are just allowed to enjoy life and bask in the sun. It’s not reality for most.

Start two weeks before Labor Day. Give teachers the day off at the end of the quarter plus one joint professional day and a floating professional day. Make the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving no instructional, and stop the Easter Monday nonsense.

Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are required to be off per the state. I'm sure MCPS would love to not have to tie spring break to Easter and to have just 5 school days off rather than 6.

MCPS could still have fewer days off for spring break, if they did Thursday-Friday and then Mon-Tuesday after Easter. There is no law that says they must be closed a full week + extra day.

Other school districts do a few days at spring break, not 6+ school days. When my youngest was in ES, there was one year that spring break was the week before Easter, Easter Monday, and a teacher workday on the following Tuesday.

What school districts don’t do at least a week for spring break? (Maybe not 6 days, but a full 5.). I can’t imagine doing less than a full week off would be popular or even tolerable for most.

https://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Documents/2025-2026-SchoolSystemOpeningClosingDates-A.pdf
Talbot got 5 days on a slanted break Th-W April 2-8
Allegany 4 days (W-M April 1-6)
Carroll 4 days (Th-Tu April 2-7)
Cecil 4 days (F-W April 3-8)
3 days (Th-M April 2-6): Caroline, Somerset, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester
2 days ONLY F-M April 3-6: Dorchester, Garrett

I don't know how people especially teachers and high school students make it over 5 months without a sufficient break?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As my kid mentioned it’s ridiculous that they use to start in Labor Day and be done by June 15, and now they start two weeks before Labor Day and still finish about the same time (or later because of missed snow days).

At some point folks are going to realize we can’t cater to everyone’s preferred days off and make a reasonable calendar without a bunch of worthless half days.

I don't think they have started two weeks before Labor Day. It has been the week before Labor Day or the week after for many years.

If they start only one week before Labor Day this year, won't they have to go until around June 25th? And possibly into the week of June 28th if there are snow days? That's kind of ridiculous...

Fortunately there are at least 3 fewer days off in 2026-27 as Rosh Hashana, Diwali (first added this year) and Lunar New Year will fall on weekends.

My youngest is a senior in college, but the students definitely had off for Diwali previously. It wasn't labeled "Diwali" on the calendar (labeled Professional Development), but anyone could Google for various non Judeo-Christian holidays.

This article is for the 22-23 year (after my kids were gone) school year, but it says Diwali was in MCPS.
https://www.rajanzed.com/3-maryland-school-systems-to-close-on-diwali-in-2022-hindus-call-for-diwali-holiday-in-the-rest-21/

I think this is the first year where they made Diwali a full holiday for everyone instead of professional development/only students off

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 2020-21 year was similar. The only major con in that calendar was the December 24 start to winter break. It looks like Thanksgiving was only a half day Wednesday with Thursday and Friday off. With Rosh Hashana 2026, Diwali 2026, Lunar New Year 2027 on a weekend those Wednesdays can still be off with a June 15 or 16 end.

Yom Kippur in 2026 is exactly a week earlier than in 2020 (September 21 instead of 28). Easter is also a week earlier in 2027 than 2021 (March 28 instead of April 4) so spring break should be reversed to Good Friday and the following week. March 26-April 2
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/elementary-schools/a-c/cresthavenes/calendar_2020-21_traditional_schoolcalendar.pdf

https://www.mymcmedia.org/2020-21-montgomery-county-school-year-to-start-before-labor-day/

That definitely wasn’t a normal year

It wasn't due to covid, however an Aug 31/Sep 1, 2026 start should not result in a June 25 or 28 end that some people think. If it was Sep 8 past Labor Day that could happen but no way will a pre-Labor Day start lead to that late of an end date.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As my kid mentioned it’s ridiculous that they use to start in Labor Day and be done by June 15, and now they start two weeks before Labor Day and still finish about the same time (or later because of missed snow days).

At some point folks are going to realize we can’t cater to everyone’s preferred days off and make a reasonable calendar without a bunch of worthless half days.

I don't think they have started two weeks before Labor Day. It has been the week before Labor Day or the week after for many years.

One week or two weeks, the point is still the same. We start before Labor Day and end at the same time as when we started after Labor Day.

This trying to preserve summer is nonsense also since most people don’t have 9/10 weeks of time off and thus for little kids are trying to find costly camps and grandparents to take care of them. This is people’s brains once again making them believe that summer is an idyllic time when everything slows down and kids and families are just allowed to enjoy life and bask in the sun. It’s not reality for most.

Start two weeks before Labor Day. Give teachers the day off at the end of the quarter plus one joint professional day and a floating professional day. Make the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving no instructional, and stop the Easter Monday nonsense.

Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are required to be off per the state. I'm sure MCPS would love to not have to tie spring break to Easter and to have just 5 school days off rather than 6.

MCPS could still have fewer days off for spring break, if they did Thursday-Friday and then Mon-Tuesday after Easter. There is no law that says they must be closed a full week + extra day.

Other school districts do a few days at spring break, not 6+ school days. When my youngest was in ES, there was one year that spring break was the week before Easter, Easter Monday, and a teacher workday on the following Tuesday.

What school districts don’t do at least a week for spring break? (Maybe not 6 days, but a full 5.). I can’t imagine doing less than a full week off would be popular or even tolerable for most.

https://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Documents/2025-2026-SchoolSystemOpeningClosingDates-A.pdf
Talbot got 5 days on a slanted break Th-W April 2-8
Allegany 4 days (W-M April 1-6)
Carroll 4 days (Th-Tu April 2-7)
Cecil 4 days (F-W April 3-8)
3 days (Th-M April 2-6): Caroline, Somerset, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester
2 days ONLY F-M April 3-6: Dorchester, Garrett

I don't know how people especially teachers and high school students make it over 5 months without a sufficient break?

Easy, the ditch all the ridiculous half days for real days off other places in the calendar and let people be exempt for religious holidays instead of trying to make them all days off. Or they do the novel concept of starting the school year a lot sooner and shortening summer so people have breaks throughout the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As my kid mentioned it’s ridiculous that they use to start in Labor Day and be done by June 15, and now they start two weeks before Labor Day and still finish about the same time (or later because of missed snow days).

At some point folks are going to realize we can’t cater to everyone’s preferred days off and make a reasonable calendar without a bunch of worthless half days.

I don't think they have started two weeks before Labor Day. It has been the week before Labor Day or the week after for many years.

One week or two weeks, the point is still the same. We start before Labor Day and end at the same time as when we started after Labor Day.

This trying to preserve summer is nonsense also since most people don’t have 9/10 weeks of time off and thus for little kids are trying to find costly camps and grandparents to take care of them. This is people’s brains once again making them believe that summer is an idyllic time when everything slows down and kids and families are just allowed to enjoy life and bask in the sun. It’s not reality for most.

Start two weeks before Labor Day. Give teachers the day off at the end of the quarter plus one joint professional day and a floating professional day. Make the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving no instructional, and stop the Easter Monday nonsense.

Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are required to be off per the state. I'm sure MCPS would love to not have to tie spring break to Easter and to have just 5 school days off rather than 6.

MCPS could still have fewer days off for spring break, if they did Thursday-Friday and then Mon-Tuesday after Easter. There is no law that says they must be closed a full week + extra day.

Other school districts do a few days at spring break, not 6+ school days. When my youngest was in ES, there was one year that spring break was the week before Easter, Easter Monday, and a teacher workday on the following Tuesday.

What school districts don’t do at least a week for spring break? (Maybe not 6 days, but a full 5.). I can’t imagine doing less than a full week off would be popular or even tolerable for most.

https://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Documents/2025-2026-SchoolSystemOpeningClosingDates-A.pdf
Talbot got 5 days on a slanted break Th-W April 2-8
Allegany 4 days (W-M April 1-6)
Carroll 4 days (Th-Tu April 2-7)
Cecil 4 days (F-W April 3-8)
3 days (Th-M April 2-6): Caroline, Somerset, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester
2 days ONLY F-M April 3-6: Dorchester, Garrett

I don't know how people especially teachers and high school students make it over 5 months without a sufficient break?

Easy, the ditch all the ridiculous half days for real days off other places in the calendar and let people be exempt for religious holidays instead of trying to make them all days off. Or they do the novel concept of starting the school year a lot sooner and shortening summer so people have breaks throughout the year.

Religious holidays are already an excused absence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As my kid mentioned it’s ridiculous that they use to start in Labor Day and be done by June 15, and now they start two weeks before Labor Day and still finish about the same time (or later because of missed snow days).

At some point folks are going to realize we can’t cater to everyone’s preferred days off and make a reasonable calendar without a bunch of worthless half days.

I don't think they have started two weeks before Labor Day. It has been the week before Labor Day or the week after for many years.

One week or two weeks, the point is still the same. We start before Labor Day and end at the same time as when we started after Labor Day.

This trying to preserve summer is nonsense also since most people don’t have 9/10 weeks of time off and thus for little kids are trying to find costly camps and grandparents to take care of them. This is people’s brains once again making them believe that summer is an idyllic time when everything slows down and kids and families are just allowed to enjoy life and bask in the sun. It’s not reality for most.

Start two weeks before Labor Day. Give teachers the day off at the end of the quarter plus one joint professional day and a floating professional day. Make the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving no instructional, and stop the Easter Monday nonsense.

Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are required to be off per the state. I'm sure MCPS would love to not have to tie spring break to Easter and to have just 5 school days off rather than 6.

MCPS could still have fewer days off for spring break, if they did Thursday-Friday and then Mon-Tuesday after Easter. There is no law that says they must be closed a full week + extra day.

Other school districts do a few days at spring break, not 6+ school days. When my youngest was in ES, there was one year that spring break was the week before Easter, Easter Monday, and a teacher workday on the following Tuesday.

What school districts don’t do at least a week for spring break? (Maybe not 6 days, but a full 5.). I can’t imagine doing less than a full week off would be popular or even tolerable for most.

https://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Documents/2025-2026-SchoolSystemOpeningClosingDates-A.pdf
Talbot got 5 days on a slanted break Th-W April 2-8
Allegany 4 days (W-M April 1-6)
Carroll 4 days (Th-Tu April 2-7)
Cecil 4 days (F-W April 3-8)
3 days (Th-M April 2-6): Caroline, Somerset, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester
2 days ONLY F-M April 3-6: Dorchester, Garrett

I don't know how people especially teachers and high school students make it over 5 months without a sufficient break?

Easy, the ditch all the ridiculous half days for real days off other places in the calendar and let people be exempt for religious holidays instead of trying to make them all days off. Or they do the novel concept of starting the school year a lot sooner and shortening summer so people have breaks throughout the year.

Religious holidays are already an excused absence.

Great. Then there’s no need to try and plan a calendar around all of them. Plan for the ones where there is likely to be huge absence from teacher and students and the rest we just observe via announcements or in school activities to support multi cultural understanding and knowledge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As my kid mentioned it’s ridiculous that they use to start in Labor Day and be done by June 15, and now they start two weeks before Labor Day and still finish about the same time (or later because of missed snow days).

At some point folks are going to realize we can’t cater to everyone’s preferred days off and make a reasonable calendar without a bunch of worthless half days.

I don't think they have started two weeks before Labor Day. It has been the week before Labor Day or the week after for many years.

If they start only one week before Labor Day this year, won't they have to go until around June 25th? And possibly into the week of June 28th if there are snow days? That's kind of ridiculous...

Fortunately there are at least 3 fewer days off in 2026-27 as Rosh Hashana, Diwali (first added this year) and Lunar New Year will fall on weekends.

My youngest is a senior in college, but the students definitely had off for Diwali previously. It wasn't labeled "Diwali" on the calendar (labeled Professional Development), but anyone could Google for various non Judeo-Christian holidays.

This article is for the 22-23 year (after my kids were gone) school year, but it says Diwali was in MCPS.
https://www.rajanzed.com/3-maryland-school-systems-to-close-on-diwali-in-2022-hindus-call-for-diwali-holiday-in-the-rest-21/

I think this is the first year where they made Diwali a full holiday for everyone instead of professional development/only students off

Well, I do think having it as a full day off, and not a PD, is a lot more fair than only a day off for students.

Is Eid a holiday now? It was also PD back in the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As my kid mentioned it’s ridiculous that they use to start in Labor Day and be done by June 15, and now they start two weeks before Labor Day and still finish about the same time (or later because of missed snow days).

At some point folks are going to realize we can’t cater to everyone’s preferred days off and make a reasonable calendar without a bunch of worthless half days.

I don't think they have started two weeks before Labor Day. It has been the week before Labor Day or the week after for many years.

If they start only one week before Labor Day this year, won't they have to go until around June 25th? And possibly into the week of June 28th if there are snow days? That's kind of ridiculous...

Fortunately there are at least 3 fewer days off in 2026-27 as Rosh Hashana, Diwali (first added this year) and Lunar New Year will fall on weekends.

My youngest is a senior in college, but the students definitely had off for Diwali previously. It wasn't labeled "Diwali" on the calendar (labeled Professional Development), but anyone could Google for various non Judeo-Christian holidays.

This article is for the 22-23 year (after my kids were gone) school year, but it says Diwali was in MCPS.
https://www.rajanzed.com/3-maryland-school-systems-to-close-on-diwali-in-2022-hindus-call-for-diwali-holiday-in-the-rest-21/

I think this is the first year where they made Diwali a full holiday for everyone instead of professional development/only students off

Well, I do think having it as a full day off, and not a PD, is a lot more fair than only a day off for students.

Is Eid a holiday now? It was also PD back in the day.

It’s a PD/planning day

[Anonymous]

The calendar is one of the few things I miss from our old school district. No half days, shorter summer break and more breaks throughout the year.

[Anonymous]

I miss the one short day per week from our old school district. 😁

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As my kid mentioned it’s ridiculous that they use to start in Labor Day and be done by June 15, and now they start two weeks before Labor Day and still finish about the same time (or later because of missed snow days).

At some point folks are going to realize we can’t cater to everyone’s preferred days off and make a reasonable calendar without a bunch of worthless half days.

I don't think they have started two weeks before Labor Day. It has been the week before Labor Day or the week after for many years.

One week or two weeks, the point is still the same. We start before Labor Day and end at the same time as when we started after Labor Day.

This trying to preserve summer is nonsense also since most people don’t have 9/10 weeks of time off and thus for little kids are trying to find costly camps and grandparents to take care of them. This is people’s brains once again making them believe that summer is an idyllic time when everything slows down and kids and families are just allowed to enjoy life and bask in the sun. It’s not reality for most.

Start two weeks before Labor Day. Give teachers the day off at the end of the quarter plus one joint professional day and a floating professional day. Make the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving no instructional, and stop the Easter Monday nonsense.

Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are required to be off per the state. I'm sure MCPS would love to not have to tie spring break to Easter and to have just 5 school days off rather than 6.

MCPS could still have fewer days off for spring break, if they did Thursday-Friday and then Mon-Tuesday after Easter. There is no law that says they must be closed a full week + extra day.

Other school districts do a few days at spring break, not 6+ school days. When my youngest was in ES, there was one year that spring break was the week before Easter, Easter Monday, and a teacher workday on the following Tuesday.

What school districts don’t do at least a week for spring break? (Maybe not 6 days, but a full 5.). I can’t imagine doing less than a full week off would be popular or even tolerable for most.

https://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Documents/2025-2026-SchoolSystemOpeningClosingDates-A.pdf
Talbot got 5 days on a slanted break Th-W April 2-8
Allegany 4 days (W-M April 1-6)
Carroll 4 days (Th-Tu April 2-7)
Cecil 4 days (F-W April 3-8)
3 days (Th-M April 2-6): Caroline, Somerset, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester
2 days ONLY F-M April 3-6: Dorchester, Garrett

I don't know how people especially teachers and high school students make it over 5 months without a sufficient break?

Easy, the ditch all the ridiculous half days for real days off other places in the calendar and let people be exempt for religious holidays instead of trying to make them all days off. Or they do the novel concept of starting the school year a lot sooner and shortening summer so people have breaks throughout the year.

Atlanta, GA (possibly all of Georgia) has this school year. It's so hot the first month of the school year since they start on or near August 1. The myth is they used to have a September-June schedule but many students didn't show up after Memorial Day so they moved up the schedule to end before Memorial Day.

[Anonymous]

Draft calendars to be presented to the BOE on Thursday:

Draft A
First Week of School:
Week of August 31, 2026
Winter Break:
Thursday, December 24,
2026 – Friday, January 1,
2027
Spring Break:
Friday March 26, 2027 –
Friday April 2, 2027
Last Day for Students:
Wednesday, June 23, 2027


Draft B
First Week of School:
Week of August 31, 2026
Winter Break:
Thursday, December 24,
2026 – Friday, January 1,
2027
Spring Break:
Monday March 22, 2027 –
Monday, March 29, 2027
Last Day for Students:
Wednesday, June 23, 2027


Draft C
First Week of School:
Week of August 24, 2026
Winter Break:
Thursday, December 24,
2026 – Friday, January 1,
2027
Spring Break:
Friday March 26, 2027 –
Friday April 2, 2027
Last Day for Students:
Tuesday, June 15, 2027


Draft D
First Week of School:
Week of August 24, 2026
Winter Break:
Thursday, December 24,
2026 – Friday, January 1,
2027
Spring Break:
Monday March 22, 2027 –
Monday, March 29, 2027
Last Day for Students:
Tuesday, June 15, 2027

[Anonymous]

More details on pages 3-4 here:

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DMBRRW6F4E48/$file/Draft%20Sch%20Yr%20Calendar%202026-2027%20251016.pdf

[Anonymous]

I prefer Option D.