2026-2027 calendar updates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:we always plan a trip that week specifically because there aren't camps as do many families at our school. I can't imagine everyone is going to be okay with making the choice to either eat the cost or miss the first week. it is simply too late to make this type of change for 4 months out. why can't they just reduce winter break by 2-3 days, cut easter monday, and maybe a planning day and then you're done?

How do you reduce Winter Break when it's basically bookended by Christmas and New Years? Unless you plan to reopen schools for 3 days in between those holidays, there aren't days you can cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've worked in the system for over twenty years at the elementary level and here are my thoughts...

1) Nobody likes transition day except for Dr. Taylor. It's a waste of time and screws over the K, 6th, and 9th grade teachers.

2) I would be okay with having half-days for grading and reporting in MP 1 and 3. I do think our secondary counterparts need the full day at the end of MP 2 to prepare for their second semester classes.

3) SPED teachers need more IEP writing days given to them but that doesn't impact whether school is open or closed. There's already not enough time to handle the paperwork on our quarterly grading days.

4) When I did my admin program we were told we closed for Christian and Jewish holidays in order to be able to function as a school system. If we remained open, there wouldn't be enough staff to operate the building. While I appreciate the diversity in our county, I don't know what percentage of staff and students celebrate some of the recent holiday additions to our calendar. Perhaps allow everyone excused absences or leave that day.

I agree with this. They do not know if they need to close for operational reasons. Being open for religious holidays next year would let them collect data to determine whether there is an operational need to close moving forward -- another benefit of doing it.

That's a bad metric. Many will come to school because they feel they have to. It's not a real choice.

MCPS can accommodate different religions and not lengthen the school year by eliminating the transition day, having school on presidents day and keeping spring break to one week by eliminating the requirement to not have school on Easter Monday or Good Friday. It will require advocacy but they clearly can do this seeing as they get waivers from the state every year.

They have a choice - it's an excused absence. And if they show up despite the excused absence, then that's not an operational reason to close.

And I agree that the state should revise the law to remove the requirement to be open on Good Friday and Easter Monday, but that's not something that MCPS can do in this calendar.

You aren’t very thoughtful. Excused absences pit a large burden on the child. My child has a 504 for medical issues and misses many classes already for medical treatments. These are all excused. He finds it hard to keep up with missed. It’s really difficult to make up missed assignments and exams, but it’s even harder to catch up on misses lessons. Despite the 504, his grades can suffer because of the snowball effect and limited time to make up for missed classes. Missing for religious holidays would further compound that. So even though all these would be excused absences, it essentially punishes the student.

MCPS said they would not cover new material on religious holidays. And regardless, the BOE rule is clear that they cannot close for religious reasons. it must be for operational reasons, meaning that a lot of students and teachers do not show up. If kids and teachers show up despite the excused absence, then that's not an operational reason to close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we always plan a trip that week specifically because there aren't camps as do many families at our school. I can't imagine everyone is going to be okay with making the choice to either eat the cost or miss the first week. it is simply too late to make this type of change for 4 months out. why can't they just reduce winter break by 2-3 days, cut easter monday, and maybe a planning day and then you're done?

How do you reduce Winter Break when it's basically bookended by Christmas and New Years? Unless you plan to reopen schools for 3 days in between those holidays, there aren't days you can cut.

They would gain a day by having kids in school on the 23rd. I don’t think they will, but it’s an option. More likely is that they cut into spring break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we always plan a trip that week specifically because there aren't camps as do many families at our school. I can't imagine everyone is going to be okay with making the choice to either eat the cost or miss the first week. it is simply too late to make this type of change for 4 months out. why can't they just reduce winter break by 2-3 days, cut easter monday, and maybe a planning day and then you're done?

How do you reduce Winter Break when it's basically bookended by Christmas and New Years? Unless you plan to reopen schools for 3 days in between those holidays, there aren't days you can cut.

+1 winter break is not an option.

They need to have school on November 9, a half day on December 23 and work with Muslim communities to make Eid al Adha a real makeup day (less important than Eid Al Fitr) and officially request that state law allow school on Presidents Day, Good Friday and Easter Monday for future years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we always plan a trip that week specifically because there aren't camps as do many families at our school. I can't imagine everyone is going to be okay with making the choice to either eat the cost or miss the first week. it is simply too late to make this type of change for 4 months out. why can't they just reduce winter break by 2-3 days, cut easter monday, and maybe a planning day and then you're done?

How do you reduce Winter Break when it's basically bookended by Christmas and New Years? Unless you plan to reopen schools for 3 days in between those holidays, there aren't days you can cut.

+1 winter break is not an option.

They need to have school on November 9, a half day on December 23 and work with Muslim communities to make Eid al Adha a real makeup day (less important than Eid Al Fitr) and officially request that state law allow school on Presidents Day, Good Friday and Easter Monday for future years.

If they make the 23rd a 1/2 day that is changing winter break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we always plan a trip that week specifically because there aren't camps as do many families at our school. I can't imagine everyone is going to be okay with making the choice to either eat the cost or miss the first week. it is simply too late to make this type of change for 4 months out. why can't they just reduce winter break by 2-3 days, cut easter monday, and maybe a planning day and then you're done?

How do you reduce Winter Break when it's basically bookended by Christmas and New Years? Unless you plan to reopen schools for 3 days in between those holidays, there aren't days you can cut.

+1 winter break is not an option.

They need to have school on November 9, a half day on December 23 and work with Muslim communities to make Eid al Adha a real makeup day (less important than Eid Al Fitr) and officially request that state law allow school on Presidents Day, Good Friday and Easter Monday for future years.

If they make the 23rd a 1/2 day that is changing winter break.

You are correct, I think reducing winter break by half a day before Christmas is reasonable. How long two days of school between Christmas and New Year's is a non starter

[Anonymous]

No matter what they do to the calendar, some kids are going to miss days at this point. They need to prioritize the option that will affect the fewest. Cutting any break — summer, winter or spring will affect many people’s existing plans. Designating mid-week religious holidays as potential makeup days will affect the fewest kids, plain and simple. I’m sorry we’re at a point that any kids will have to miss school but again, let’s prioritize having the most kids attend.

Signed someone whose kid has a camp for the last week of summer already and who is going on a cruise over winter break that we aren’t changing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No matter what they do to the calendar, some kids are going to miss days at this point. They need to prioritize the option that will affect the fewest. Cutting any break — summer, winter or spring will affect many people’s existing plans. Designating mid-week religious holidays as potential makeup days will affect the fewest kids, plain and simple. I’m sorry we’re at a point that any kids will have to miss school but again, let’s prioritize having the most kids attend.

Signed someone whose kid has a camp for the last week of summer already and who is going on a cruise over winter break that we aren’t changing.

So you think it is better to have school on Passover than on the 4th day of Diwali?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No matter what they do to the calendar, some kids are going to miss days at this point. They need to prioritize the option that will affect the fewest. Cutting any break — summer, winter or spring will affect many people’s existing plans. Designating mid-week religious holidays as potential makeup days will affect the fewest kids, plain and simple. I’m sorry we’re at a point that any kids will have to miss school but again, let’s prioritize having the most kids attend.

Signed someone whose kid has a camp for the last week of summer already and who is going on a cruise over winter break that we aren’t changing.

So you think it is better to have school on Passover than on the 4th day of Diwali?

There are more Jews in MCPS than Hindi, so no probably not. But if it has to be made up and that’s the next logical date than sure. Speaking as a Jew, it’s fine to have school on Passover. Kids aren’t involved in cooking the Seder typically and that happens after school. Passover isn’t a sit in Temple all day affair…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No matter what they do to the calendar, some kids are going to miss days at this point. They need to prioritize the option that will affect the fewest. Cutting any break — summer, winter or spring will affect many people’s existing plans. Designating mid-week religious holidays as potential makeup days will affect the fewest kids, plain and simple. I’m sorry we’re at a point that any kids will have to miss school but again, let’s prioritize having the most kids attend.

Signed someone whose kid has a camp for the last week of summer already and who is going on a cruise over winter break that we aren’t changing.

So you think it is better to have school on Passover than on the 4th day of Diwali?

There are more Jews in MCPS than Hindi, so no probably not. But if it has to be made up and that’s the next logical date than sure. Speaking as a Jew, it’s fine to have school on Passover. Kids aren’t involved in cooking the Seder typically and that happens after school. Passover isn’t a sit in Temple all day affair…

What about teachers that observe Passover?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've worked in the system for over twenty years at the elementary level and here are my thoughts...

1) Nobody likes transition day except for Dr. Taylor. It's a waste of time and screws over the K, 6th, and 9th grade teachers.

2) I would be okay with having half-days for grading and reporting in MP 1 and 3. I do think our secondary counterparts need the full day at the end of MP 2 to prepare for their second semester classes.

3) SPED teachers need more IEP writing days given to them but that doesn't impact whether school is open or closed. There's already not enough time to handle the paperwork on our quarterly grading days.

4) When I did my admin program we were told we closed for Christian and Jewish holidays in order to be able to function as a school system. If we remained open, there wouldn't be enough staff to operate the building. While I appreciate the diversity in our county, I don't know what percentage of staff and students celebrate some of the recent holiday additions to our calendar. Perhaps allow everyone excused absences or leave that day.

I agree with this. They do not know if they need to close for operational reasons. Being open for religious holidays next year would let them collect data to determine whether there is an operational need to close moving forward -- another benefit of doing it.

DP. True, but aren't they only considering marking the religious holidays as potential makeup days, not as school days from the outset?

I don't think so. They would do this instead of starting school early, so those are days they would actually be open.

No, on the survey they sent out Thursday, the option is written as "Identifying days of religious observance as inclement weather makeup days."

Well, that's not what they say in the presentation. These are the three options:

Given the scheduled non-instructional days, three options or combinations of options are possible to meet new requirements to add capacity to address inclement weather closures:

1. Open school on non-instructional days that also are religious observances; allow excused absences and minimize instructional conflicts.

2. Reduce the length of Winter Break and/or Spring Break.

3. Start the school year earlier in August.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DT7SZF751736/$file/Proposed%20Amendments%202026-2027%20SY%20Calendar%20PPT%20260416.pdf

The superintendent is recommending the worst of the three options.

They mean that in the event of inclement weather closures requiring makeup days, they could open school on non-instructional days that are also religious observances.

That's not how I read it. The point is not to have to open school a week earlier. The way to do that is to open up on religious holidays instead.

Instead of opening earlier, they could keep the start as it currently is and convert religious days to school days if needed if they have too many snow days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've worked in the system for over twenty years at the elementary level and here are my thoughts...

1) Nobody likes transition day except for Dr. Taylor. It's a waste of time and screws over the K, 6th, and 9th grade teachers.

2) I would be okay with having half-days for grading and reporting in MP 1 and 3. I do think our secondary counterparts need the full day at the end of MP 2 to prepare for their second semester classes.

3) SPED teachers need more IEP writing days given to them but that doesn't impact whether school is open or closed. There's already not enough time to handle the paperwork on our quarterly grading days.

4) When I did my admin program we were told we closed for Christian and Jewish holidays in order to be able to function as a school system. If we remained open, there wouldn't be enough staff to operate the building. While I appreciate the diversity in our county, I don't know what percentage of staff and students celebrate some of the recent holiday additions to our calendar. Perhaps allow everyone excused absences or leave that day.

I agree with this. They do not know if they need to close for operational reasons. Being open for religious holidays next year would let them collect data to determine whether there is an operational need to close moving forward -- another benefit of doing it.

DP. True, but aren't they only considering marking the religious holidays as potential makeup days, not as school days from the outset?

I don't think so. They would do this instead of starting school early, so those are days they would actually be open.

No, on the survey they sent out Thursday, the option is written as "Identifying days of religious observance as inclement weather makeup days."

Well, that's not what they say in the presentation. These are the three options:

Given the scheduled non-instructional days, three options or combinations of options are possible to meet new requirements to add capacity to address inclement weather closures:

1. Open school on non-instructional days that also are religious observances; allow excused absences and minimize instructional conflicts.

2. Reduce the length of Winter Break and/or Spring Break.

3. Start the school year earlier in August.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DT7SZF751736/$file/Proposed%20Amendments%202026-2027%20SY%20Calendar%20PPT%20260416.pdf

The superintendent is recommending the worst of the three options.

They mean that in the event of inclement weather closures requiring makeup days, they could open school on non-instructional days that are also religious observances.

That's not how I read it. The point is not to have to open school a week earlier. The way to do that is to open up on religious holidays instead.

Instead of opening earlier, they could keep the start as it currently is and convert religious days to school days if needed if they have too many snow days.

Exactly. The calendar they already have works if they actually use the days they’ve designated

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've worked in the system for over twenty years at the elementary level and here are my thoughts...

1) Nobody likes transition day except for Dr. Taylor. It's a waste of time and screws over the K, 6th, and 9th grade teachers.

2) I would be okay with having half-days for grading and reporting in MP 1 and 3. I do think our secondary counterparts need the full day at the end of MP 2 to prepare for their second semester classes.

3) SPED teachers need more IEP writing days given to them but that doesn't impact whether school is open or closed. There's already not enough time to handle the paperwork on our quarterly grading days.

4) When I did my admin program we were told we closed for Christian and Jewish holidays in order to be able to function as a school system. If we remained open, there wouldn't be enough staff to operate the building. While I appreciate the diversity in our county, I don't know what percentage of staff and students celebrate some of the recent holiday additions to our calendar. Perhaps allow everyone excused absences or leave that day.

I agree with this. They do not know if they need to close for operational reasons. Being open for religious holidays next year would let them collect data to determine whether there is an operational need to close moving forward -- another benefit of doing it.

DP. True, but aren't they only considering marking the religious holidays as potential makeup days, not as school days from the outset?

I don't think so. They would do this instead of starting school early, so those are days they would actually be open.

No, on the survey they sent out Thursday, the option is written as "Identifying days of religious observance as inclement weather makeup days."

Well, that's not what they say in the presentation. These are the three options:

Given the scheduled non-instructional days, three options or combinations of options are possible to meet new requirements to add capacity to address inclement weather closures:

1. Open school on non-instructional days that also are religious observances; allow excused absences and minimize instructional conflicts.

2. Reduce the length of Winter Break and/or Spring Break.

3. Start the school year earlier in August.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DT7SZF751736/$file/Proposed%20Amendments%202026-2027%20SY%20Calendar%20PPT%20260416.pdf

The superintendent is recommending the worst of the three options.

They mean that in the event of inclement weather closures requiring makeup days, they could open school on non-instructional days that are also religious observances.

That's not how I read it. The point is not to have to open school a week earlier. The way to do that is to open up on religious holidays instead.

Instead of opening earlier, they could keep the start as it currently is and convert religious days to school days if needed if they have too many snow days.

Exactly. The calendar they already have works if they actually use the days they’ve designated

Yes. Which is one of the options they're asking about on the survey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've worked in the system for over twenty years at the elementary level and here are my thoughts...

1) Nobody likes transition day except for Dr. Taylor. It's a waste of time and screws over the K, 6th, and 9th grade teachers.

2) I would be okay with having half-days for grading and reporting in MP 1 and 3. I do think our secondary counterparts need the full day at the end of MP 2 to prepare for their second semester classes.

3) SPED teachers need more IEP writing days given to them but that doesn't impact whether school is open or closed. There's already not enough time to handle the paperwork on our quarterly grading days.

4) When I did my admin program we were told we closed for Christian and Jewish holidays in order to be able to function as a school system. If we remained open, there wouldn't be enough staff to operate the building. While I appreciate the diversity in our county, I don't know what percentage of staff and students celebrate some of the recent holiday additions to our calendar. Perhaps allow everyone excused absences or leave that day.

I agree with this. They do not know if they need to close for operational reasons. Being open for religious holidays next year would let them collect data to determine whether there is an operational need to close moving forward -- another benefit of doing it.

DP. True, but aren't they only considering marking the religious holidays as potential makeup days, not as school days from the outset?

I don't think so. They would do this instead of starting school early, so those are days they would actually be open.

No, on the survey they sent out Thursday, the option is written as "Identifying days of religious observance as inclement weather makeup days."

Well, that's not what they say in the presentation. These are the three options:

Given the scheduled non-instructional days, three options or combinations of options are possible to meet new requirements to add capacity to address inclement weather closures:

1. Open school on non-instructional days that also are religious observances; allow excused absences and minimize instructional conflicts.

2. Reduce the length of Winter Break and/or Spring Break.

3. Start the school year earlier in August.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DT7SZF751736/$file/Proposed%20Amendments%202026-2027%20SY%20Calendar%20PPT%20260416.pdf

The superintendent is recommending the worst of the three options.

They mean that in the event of inclement weather closures requiring makeup days, they could open school on non-instructional days that are also religious observances.

That's not how I read it. The point is not to have to open school a week earlier. The way to do that is to open up on religious holidays instead.

Instead of opening earlier, they could keep the start as it currently is and convert religious days to school days if needed if they have too many snow days.

Exactly. The calendar they already have works if they actually use the days they’ve designated

Yes. Which is one of the options they're asking about on the survey.

The survey presents it as an option but is a real option they will use? They haven't this school year or last school year and I think it is kind of ridiculous to have a survey that asks about this when they know they won't use them. It's not up to the people responding to the survey. What is the point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've worked in the system for over twenty years at the elementary level and here are my thoughts...

1) Nobody likes transition day except for Dr. Taylor. It's a waste of time and screws over the K, 6th, and 9th grade teachers.

2) I would be okay with having half-days for grading and reporting in MP 1 and 3. I do think our secondary counterparts need the full day at the end of MP 2 to prepare for their second semester classes.

3) SPED teachers need more IEP writing days given to them but that doesn't impact whether school is open or closed. There's already not enough time to handle the paperwork on our quarterly grading days.

4) When I did my admin program we were told we closed for Christian and Jewish holidays in order to be able to function as a school system. If we remained open, there wouldn't be enough staff to operate the building. While I appreciate the diversity in our county, I don't know what percentage of staff and students celebrate some of the recent holiday additions to our calendar. Perhaps allow everyone excused absences or leave that day.

I agree with this. They do not know if they need to close for operational reasons. Being open for religious holidays next year would let them collect data to determine whether there is an operational need to close moving forward -- another benefit of doing it.

DP. True, but aren't they only considering marking the religious holidays as potential makeup days, not as school days from the outset?

I don't think so. They would do this instead of starting school early, so those are days they would actually be open.

No, on the survey they sent out Thursday, the option is written as "Identifying days of religious observance as inclement weather makeup days."

Well, that's not what they say in the presentation. These are the three options:

Given the scheduled non-instructional days, three options or combinations of options are possible to meet new requirements to add capacity to address inclement weather closures:

1. Open school on non-instructional days that also are religious observances; allow excused absences and minimize instructional conflicts.

2. Reduce the length of Winter Break and/or Spring Break.

3. Start the school year earlier in August.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DT7SZF751736/$file/Proposed%20Amendments%202026-2027%20SY%20Calendar%20PPT%20260416.pdf

The superintendent is recommending the worst of the three options.

They mean that in the event of inclement weather closures requiring makeup days, they could open school on non-instructional days that are also religious observances.

That's not how I read it. The point is not to have to open school a week earlier. The way to do that is to open up on religious holidays instead.

Instead of opening earlier, they could keep the start as it currently is and convert religious days to school days if needed if they have too many snow days.

Exactly. The calendar they already have works if they actually use the days they’ve designated

It seems crazy to me that they won't do this. This is a no-brainer. I can't believe the superintendent instead is recommending starting school a week earlier.