Please hold spring break in April annually starting in 2027 no matter when Easter occurs

[Anonymous]

When spring break should be held:
2027 April 12-16 two weeks after Easter (schools still closed March 26,29)
2028 April 10-17 week before Easter
2029 March 30-April 6 OR April 16-20 (March 30, April 2 off)
2030 April 1-5 (April 19,22 off) OR April 15-22
2031 April 11-18 (similar to 2025 but Easter is the 1st Sunday instead of the 2nd Sunday)
2032 Duplicate of 2027

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a MCPS teacher, I would prefer it continue to be linked to state mandated closures of Good Friday and Easter Monday. I’d be happy to have it fall before or after Easter.

Minimizing interruptions is key. A single 8 day break for Spring Break + Easter is less disruptive than a 5 day break for Spring Break followed at some point by a four day weekend for Easter.

Are you ES, MS or HS teacher? Going three months late in the year without a break longer than a 3-day weekend is difficult due to burnout. Don't you feel burnout in June when it's early and in late March/early April when it's late.

MS.

We still have a couple three day weekends between mid January and late February, no matter when Spring Break falls.

The hardest stretch is late April to late May, but there’s no way to add a break then due to MCAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. I hate having spring break so late. Spring break should be in March, not late April. It’s practically the end of the year by the time it comes along. Weather is already warm so getting away doesn’t feel so necessary and ski season is over at most places.

It should not be tied to Easter. I’d rather be home for Easter and I bet many Jews would also prefer to be home for Passover.

Many Jews vacation for Passover so that someone else does all of work of cleaning and preparing kosher for Passover meals. There are resorts that specialize in this.

Easter is not the same as passover and the number of Jews that go to Passover resorts is miniscule.

Did you bother to read what this was in response to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would need to change state law, which requires that Good Friday and Easter Monday be system closures.

We are a state founded by Catholics! Have some respect for history.

Plenty of other states' school districts are able to have a four day weekend around Easter AND have another full week for spring break. It can be done.

And, are you willing to volunteer as a sub when Jewish teachers want the day off for their religious holidays. MCPS isn't being nice about giving other religions the days off, they do it as they don't have staffing.

I don't know what is the BIG deal with ONE extra day off in normal years (2025-26 has many days off so that isn't a normal year). Schools don't save two days for having spring break the week before Easter, just one. I get that 2025-26 is hard and it is still manageable to have spring break with Easter although they should have gone with the week after but they never choose after even when there is an early Easter.

Sure they do. Here's one example of spring break being the week after Easter:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/r-w/rmhs/uploadedfiles/students/2015-201620mcps20calendar.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of the weird things with Maryland school calendars is when spring break occurs as it doesn't happen at the same point each year but borders Easter. In 2026 Easter two weeks earlier than 2025 but MoCo and PGCo still chose the week before Easter as spring break. In 2027 Easter is SUPER early so the break should not be the week before Easter. The best thing would be to hold the break either April 5-9 or April 12-16 as long as there is at least 1 fewer holiday off in 2026-27 than 2025-26 to offset the extra day needed by not bordering Easter.
Spring break should NOT be held before the 3rd quarter is over! This post is being made because some DC teachers that live in MoCo or PGCo inflated the responses on to hold spring break based on MoCo and PGC so DC which usually holds spring break in April randomly put it on MARCH 22-26, 2027 despite that MoCo and PGCo have yet to post a 2026-27 calendar.
All three districts MoCo, PGCo and DC need to agree to hold spring break 2027 in the 1st or 2nd full week of April AFTER all 3 have ended the 3rd quarter.

Weird. A DC resident posts that they’re upset that DCPS changed their calendar to align with MCPS’s, when they think it should be the other way around (MCPS should change their calendar to align with DCPS’s) and no one tells OP to take this up with DCPS? Why did OP even post in this forum?

Cause it should be taken up by MoCo and PGCo so spring break can be at a similar time regardless of Easter.
Spring break in April means it will actually feel like spring and you feel like the end of the year is around the corner. Spring break in March means ALL of APRIL through the last day without any break above a 3-day weekend.

Our spring break doesn’t impact you. DCPS’s spring break impacts you. The respondents to DCPS’s survey have spoken and the powers that be listened. I’m sorry you didn’t get the result you wanted, but it’s crazy to tell people living in multiple other districts that they should change their school calendars to suit your preferences so that DCPS can change their calendar back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would need to change state law, which requires that Good Friday and Easter Monday be system closures.

We are a state founded by Catholics! Have some respect for history.

Plenty of other states' school districts are able to have a four day weekend around Easter AND have another full week for spring break. It can be done.

And, are you willing to volunteer as a sub when Jewish teachers want the day off for their religious holidays. MCPS isn't being nice about giving other religions the days off, they do it as they don't have staffing.

I don't know what is the BIG deal with ONE extra day off in normal years (2025-26 has many days off so that isn't a normal year). Schools don't save two days for having spring break the week before Easter, just one. I get that 2025-26 is hard and it is still manageable to have spring break with Easter although they should have gone with the week after but they never choose after even when there is an early Easter.

Sure they do. Here's one example of spring break being the week after Easter:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/r-w/rmhs/uploadedfiles/students/2015-201620mcps20calendar.pdf

That was the last time they've done after so it's going to be 10 CONSECUTIVE before Easter years in 2025-26. The earliest years since are 2018 and 2024 with 2021 next earliest.
Easter 2027 is a week before 2021 so they would need to at least take the week after just to mimic the 2021 break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of the weird things with Maryland school calendars is when spring break occurs as it doesn't happen at the same point each year but borders Easter. In 2026 Easter two weeks earlier than 2025 but MoCo and PGCo still chose the week before Easter as spring break. In 2027 Easter is SUPER early so the break should not be the week before Easter. The best thing would be to hold the break either April 5-9 or April 12-16 as long as there is at least 1 fewer holiday off in 2026-27 than 2025-26 to offset the extra day needed by not bordering Easter.
Spring break should NOT be held before the 3rd quarter is over! This post is being made because some DC teachers that live in MoCo or PGCo inflated the responses on to hold spring break based on MoCo and PGC so DC which usually holds spring break in April randomly put it on MARCH 22-26, 2027 despite that MoCo and PGCo have yet to post a 2026-27 calendar.
All three districts MoCo, PGCo and DC need to agree to hold spring break 2027 in the 1st or 2nd full week of April AFTER all 3 have ended the 3rd quarter.

Weird. A DC resident posts that they’re upset that DCPS changed their calendar to align with MCPS’s, when they think it should be the other way around (MCPS should change their calendar to align with DCPS’s) and no one tells OP to take this up with DCPS? Why did OP even post in this forum?

Cause it should be taken up by MoCo and PGCo so spring break can be at a similar time regardless of Easter.
Spring break in April means it will actually feel like spring and you feel like the end of the year is around the corner. Spring break in March means ALL of APRIL through the last day without any break above a 3-day weekend.

Our spring break doesn’t impact you. DCPS’s spring break impacts you. The respondents to DCPS’s survey have spoken and the powers that be listened. I’m sorry you didn’t get the result you wanted, but it’s crazy to tell people living in multiple other districts that they should change their school calendars to suit your preferences so that DCPS can change their calendar back.

Well it sort of does because some people in DC came up with wanting to tie the DC break to your break. Since your 2026-27 calendar isn't I don't want spring break picked based on what some people think it will be based on the DC calendar. If you choose ANY other week that would most likely get DC to change theirs.

[Anonymous]

Please disconnect Easter from spring break!! I want to travel over spring break. But my family is also religious and we like to go to family for Easter, so we never get to travel. And if we choose my family to visit for Easter (12 hour drive or flight), we have to drive on the actual holiday instead of enjoying it. Or maybe make the Easter weekend the start of spring break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of the weird things with Maryland school calendars is when spring break occurs as it doesn't happen at the same point each year but borders Easter. In 2026 Easter two weeks earlier than 2025 but MoCo and PGCo still chose the week before Easter as spring break. In 2027 Easter is SUPER early so the break should not be the week before Easter. The best thing would be to hold the break either April 5-9 or April 12-16 as long as there is at least 1 fewer holiday off in 2026-27 than 2025-26 to offset the extra day needed by not bordering Easter.
Spring break should NOT be held before the 3rd quarter is over! This post is being made because some DC teachers that live in MoCo or PGCo inflated the responses on to hold spring break based on MoCo and PGC so DC which usually holds spring break in April randomly put it on MARCH 22-26, 2027 despite that MoCo and PGCo have yet to post a 2026-27 calendar.
All three districts MoCo, PGCo and DC need to agree to hold spring break 2027 in the 1st or 2nd full week of April AFTER all 3 have ended the 3rd quarter.

Weird. A DC resident posts that they’re upset that DCPS changed their calendar to align with MCPS’s, when they think it should be the other way around (MCPS should change their calendar to align with DCPS’s) and no one tells OP to take this up with DCPS? Why did OP even post in this forum?

Cause it should be taken up by MoCo and PGCo so spring break can be at a similar time regardless of Easter.
Spring break in April means it will actually feel like spring and you feel like the end of the year is around the corner. Spring break in March means ALL of APRIL through the last day without any break above a 3-day weekend.

Our spring break doesn’t impact you. DCPS’s spring break impacts you. The respondents to DCPS’s survey have spoken and the powers that be listened. I’m sorry you didn’t get the result you wanted, but it’s crazy to tell people living in multiple other districts that they should change their school calendars to suit your preferences so that DCPS can change their calendar back.

Well it sort of does because some people in DC came up with wanting to tie the DC break to your break. Since your 2026-27 calendar isn't I don't want spring break picked based on what some people think it will be based on the DC calendar. If you choose ANY other week that would most likely get DC to change theirs.

Your problem isn’t how another state schedules their spring breaks. Your problem is that when DCPS asked their stakeholders for input on their school calendar, enough respondents wanted spring break to coincide with Easter to match suburban MD school districts’ breaks that DCPS listened and made that change. Why are there enough residents of suburban MD teaching in DCPS to have this influence on the DCPS school calendar? Because DC is not an affordable place for teachers to live. All of this boils down to significant number of DCPS stakeholders wanting something different from what you want.

You have not made a compelling case for MD school districts to change anything to suit your personal preferences (not that DCUM posters have the ability to make that happen).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Your problem isn’t how another state schedules their spring breaks. Your problem is that when DCPS asked their stakeholders for input on their school calendar, enough respondents wanted spring break to coincide with Easter to match suburban MD school districts’ breaks that DCPS listened and made that change. Why are there enough residents of suburban MD teaching in DCPS to have this influence on the DCPS school calendar? Because DC is not an affordable place for teachers to live. All of this boils down to significant number of DCPS stakeholders wanting something different from what you want. You have not made a compelling case for MD school districts to change anything to suit your personal preferences (not that DCUM posters have the ability to make that happen).

A. Most people on here want a consistent spring break that is at a good point in the year like after the 3rd marking period.
B. Those responses are INFLATED (a bunch of teachers go on over and over again and respond multiple times each).
C. Most of the DC people on this site probably didn't vote on the survey.
D. Maryland school districts either schedule spring break over Easter or lack a real break (which is insane). Since Easter has a five week range when it can occur spring break should not be decided that way.

Ex. Other places always schedule their break at the same time of year (3rd week of March in many southern states, where school ends in May) In New England the schools schedule spring break based on Patriots' Day (third Monday of April) so it is always the 3rd full week of April there. Patriots Day has a one week range for when it can fall, not a five week range!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Your problem isn’t how another state schedules their spring breaks. Your problem is that when DCPS asked their stakeholders for input on their school calendar, enough respondents wanted spring break to coincide with Easter to match suburban MD school districts’ breaks that DCPS listened and made that change. Why are there enough residents of suburban MD teaching in DCPS to have this influence on the DCPS school calendar? Because DC is not an affordable place for teachers to live. All of this boils down to significant number of DCPS stakeholders wanting something different from what you want. You have not made a compelling case for MD school districts to change anything to suit your personal preferences (not that DCUM posters have the ability to make that happen).

A. Most people on here want a consistent spring break that is at a good point in the year like after the 3rd marking period.
How have you determined that? Who are “most of the people on here”? Most DCUM posters, regardless of where they live? Most posters on this (MCPS) board?
B. Those responses are INFLATED (a bunch of teachers go on over and over again and respond multiple times each).
How do you know that?
C. Most of the DC people on this site probably didn't vote on the survey.
Only people who filled out and submitted the survey got to have any say in the matter. None of the MD residents on this board participated in the survey.
D. Maryland school districts either schedule spring break over Easter or lack a real break (which is insane). Since Easter has a five week range when it can occur spring break should not be decided that way.
That’s your opinion, not a fact, and since you don’t live in MD, so your opinion has no relevance.

Ex. Other places always schedule their break at the same time of year (3rd week of March in many southern states, where school ends in May) In New England the schools schedule spring break based on Patriots' Day (third Monday of April) so it is always the 3rd full week of April there. Patriots Day has a one week range for when it can fall, not a five week range!
Other places have different priorities than we do when setting their calendars. They have earlier or later start dates than we do. They have an earlier end date than we do. They have less diverse demographics than we do and don’t need to close for Jewish holidays due to staffing issues, like we do. They have negotiated employment contracts that are different from ours. Their schools operate under different state mandates for holidays and minimum requirements for number of days and hours of instruction. School districts tailor their calendars to local needs, customs, mandates and budgets. That’s why they’re not the same everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
A. Most people on here want a consistent spring break that is at a good point in the year like after the 3rd marking period.
How have you determined that? Who are “most of the people on here”? Most DCUM posters, regardless of where they live? Most posters on this (MCPS) board? Almost everyone on most of the DCUM site wants spring break at a consistent time. Some always want it in March, while others prefer April. Very few people (though there are some) want it based on when Easter occurs.
B. Those responses are INFLATED (a bunch of teachers go on over and over again and respond multiple times each).
How do you know that? This is mostly covered by the above response and the other reason is simple math, there are far more people who are either students or families of students then teachers. The teachers response outnumbering everyone is impossible unless they all did the survey over and over again to multiply their response.
C. Most of the DC people on this site probably didn't vote on the survey.
Only people who filled out and submitted the survey got to have any say in the matter. None of the MD residents on this board participated in the survey. I never said MoCo residents participated however some are teaching in DC. The teachers teaching in DC pulled a big one, however gotta give them props while hardly anyone else must have taken the survey.
D. Maryland school districts either schedule spring break over Easter or lack a real break (which is insane). Since Easter has a five week range when it can occur spring break should not be decided that way.
That’s your opinion, not a fact, and since you don’t live in MD, so your opinion has no relevance. Easter occurring in a five week range isn't my opinion it's a fact and lets face it nobody is going to say spring break shouldn't be in late March some years and late April other years. While my opinion is exactly that most want spring break at the same time every year! If the 2027-29 DC calendar didn't put spring break the week before Easter there would be no point in coming on here.
Ex. Other places always schedule their break at the same time of year (3rd week of March in many southern states, where school ends in May) In New England the schools schedule spring break based on Patriots' Day (third Monday of April) so it is always the 3rd full week of April there. Patriots Day has a one week range for when it can fall, not a five week range!
Other places have different priorities than we do when setting their calendars. They have earlier or later start dates than we do. They have an earlier end date than we do. They have less diverse demographics than we do and don’t need to close for Jewish holidays due to staffing issues, like we do. They have negotiated employment contracts that are different from ours. Their schools operate under different state mandates for holidays and minimum requirements for number of days and hours of instruction. School districts tailor their calendars to local needs, customs, mandates and budgets. That’s why they’re not the same everywhere. Some of the southern schools give off for RH and YK, same goes for NE so that isn't deciding when spring break is. MD apparently has the double mandates of 1,080 hours (ES/MS)/1,170 hours (HS) AND 180 days while also requiring Good Friday and Easter Monday to be off. The breaking point is the makeup day requirements if closures put schools under either requirement. MD schools only save one day not both by anchoring spring break to Easter. If it is too hard to detach spring break from Easter at least make it after Easter in 2027 (and 2029).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You would need to change state law, which requires that Good Friday and Easter Monday be system closures.

We are a state founded by Catholics! Have some respect for history.

Plenty of other states' school districts are able to have a four day weekend around Easter AND have another full week for spring break. It can be done.

And, are you willing to volunteer as a sub when Jewish teachers want the day off for their religious holidays. MCPS isn't being nice about giving other religions the days off, they do it as they don't have staffing.

This lacks modern evidence...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
A. Most people on here want a consistent spring break that is at a good point in the year like after the 3rd marking period.
How have you determined that? Who are “most of the people on here”? Most DCUM posters, regardless of where they live? Most posters on this (MCPS) board? Almost everyone on most of the DCUM site wants spring break at a consistent time. Some always want it in March, while others prefer April. Very few people (though there are some) want it based on when Easter occurs.
B. Those responses are INFLATED (a bunch of teachers go on over and over again and respond multiple times each).
How do you know that? This is mostly covered by the above response and the other reason is simple math, there are far more people who are either students or families of students then teachers. The teachers response outnumbering everyone is impossible unless they all did the survey over and over again to multiply their response.
C. Most of the DC people on this site probably didn't vote on the survey.
Only people who filled out and submitted the survey got to have any say in the matter. None of the MD residents on this board participated in the survey. I never said MoCo residents participated however some are teaching in DC. The teachers teaching in DC pulled a big one, however gotta give them props while hardly anyone else must have taken the survey.
D. Maryland school districts either schedule spring break over Easter or lack a real break (which is insane). Since Easter has a five week range when it can occur spring break should not be decided that way.
That’s your opinion, not a fact, and since you don’t live in MD, so your opinion has no relevance. Easter occurring in a five week range isn't my opinion it's a fact and lets face it nobody is going to say spring break shouldn't be in late March some years and late April other years. While my opinion is exactly that most want spring break at the same time every year! If the 2027-29 DC calendar didn't put spring break the week before Easter there would be no point in coming on here.
Ex. Other places always schedule their break at the same time of year (3rd week of March in many southern states, where school ends in May) In New England the schools schedule spring break based on Patriots' Day (third Monday of April) so it is always the 3rd full week of April there. Patriots Day has a one week range for when it can fall, not a five week range!
Other places have different priorities than we do when setting their calendars. They have earlier or later start dates than we do. They have an earlier end date than we do. They have less diverse demographics than we do and don’t need to close for Jewish holidays due to staffing issues, like we do. They have negotiated employment contracts that are different from ours. Their schools operate under different state mandates for holidays and minimum requirements for number of days and hours of instruction. School districts tailor their calendars to local needs, customs, mandates and budgets. That’s why they’re not the same everywhere. Some of the southern schools give off for RH and YK, same goes for NE so that isn't deciding when spring break is. MD apparently has the double mandates of 1,080 hours (ES/MS)/1,170 hours (HS) AND 180 days while also requiring Good Friday and Easter Monday to be off. The breaking point is the makeup day requirements if closures put schools under either requirement. MD schools only save one day not both by anchoring spring break to Easter. If it is too hard to detach spring break from Easter at least make it after Easter in 2027 (and 2029).

You have presented no compelling evidence that A) the majority of DCPS stakeholders are opposed to this calendar change (anonymous posts you’ve read on DCUM have no more credibility than DCPS’s survey results) or B) the results of the survey are so flawed as to be worthless or C) making this change to DCPS’s calendar will do nothing to help them attract and retain staff/have adequate staff levels around Easter. You’ve brought no facts to the discussion except that the dates on which Easter falls can vary by weeks — which was not among the assertions of yours that were in dispute.

You don’t like a calendar change that DCPS made based on responses they received from their own stakeholders. The people of MD had nothing to do with that, except for DCPS teachers who live in MD — but they are legitimate DCPS stakeholders who had a right to submit surveys.

You’re appealing to DCUM posters on the MCPS forum to change MCPS’s spring break calendar (which we don’t have the power to do), simply because you think the majority of us agree with you. You see this as an end run around DCPS to force them change their calendar back to the way it used to be in order to remain aligned to MCPS’s calendar. It is a fool’s errand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You have presented no compelling evidence that A) the majority of DCPS stakeholders are opposed to this calendar change (anonymous posts you’ve read on DCUM have no more credibility than DCPS’s survey results) or B) the results of the survey are so flawed as to be worthless or C) making this change to DCPS’s calendar will do nothing to help them attract and retain staff/have adequate staff levels around Easter. You’ve brought no facts to the discussion except that the dates on which Easter falls can vary by weeks — which was not among the assertions of yours that were in dispute. You don’t like a calendar change that DCPS made based on responses they received from their own stakeholders. The people of MD had nothing to do with that, except for DCPS teachers who live in MD — but they are legitimate DCPS stakeholders who had a right to submit surveys.
You’re appealing to DCUM posters on the MCPS forum to change MCPS’s spring break calendar (which we don’t have the power to do), simply because you think the majority of us agree with you. You see this as an end run around DCPS to force them change their calendar back to the way it used to be in order to remain aligned to MCPS’s calendar. It is a fool’s errand.

I just presented the evidence that almost nobody wants spring break shifting weeks from year to year. The results are flawed since if the teachers who are a small minority become the majority then it's obviously not valid since they voted over and over again. Even if only 5% of the students and parents of students voted that would still outnumber the teachers if all the teachers voted once. Easter is on a Sunday every year so there is no school anyways so that shouldn't create a problem.

Yes the teachers had a right to submit surveys and technically they didn't break any rule since I didn't see anything saying you could only vote once. They came up with a plan to multiply their votes AND few non-teachers took part in the survey so the teacher vote actually won.

No, you don't have the power to change MoCo's spring break calendar but this is the perfect opportunity to influence their 2026-27 calendar which is not out yet. Getting spring break 2027 to occur after Easter is a good thing for people to request given how early that is. Now maybe they'll choose March 26-April 2 or maybe April 12-16 with March 26 and 29 off but NOT March 22-29 if enough people on here bother to input that. You may or may not agree on when to hold spring break but most (though not all based on one teacher) don't want break floating weeks apart based on Easter. It's not a fools errand if people ACTUALLY bother to get the districts to hold spring break at a reasonable time.