It feels like they've gotta do a 9 week summer rather than a 10 week summer either in 2026 or 2027, right? They can't keep pushing the start and end dates back indefinitely or eventually we'll be ending in July...

It’s ridiculous that we go until June 17th. Mcps is putting its students at a significant disadvantage compared to other school districts that begin much earlier with regard to AP test preparation.
The school year is way too long given all of the days off for various reasons.

Anonymous wrote:Why are people looking that far ahead?

Some people are planners.

Anonymous wrote:I predict too few days built in for inclement weather/snow, and makeup days that don't get used.

This one’s a sure thing!

Why are people looking that far ahead?

Anonymous wrote:They did include at least one question about the SY 26-27 calendar on the SY25-26 calendar survey that happened last fall.

The result was 70% of respondents preferred starting one week before Labor Day, vs. 30% two weeks before.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DA2QU36AEFCC/$file/Draft%202025%E2%80%932026%20SY%20Calendar%20241022%20PPT.pdf

The problem is that more than 3/4 of MCPS students aren’t old enough to take AP classes, so most of the respondents don’t foresee this decision’s having any impact academically, and therefore, they’re prioritizing summer vacation plans. Starting a week earlier would have an enormously beneficial impact, academically, for students taking AP classes, but they’re a minority population, whom most respondents aren’t considering. The BOE should take academics into consideration more than the crowd who says “but we’ve always taken vacation in August.”

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.

We don’t start two weeks before Labor Day. We start a week before.

I predict too few days built in for inclement weather/snow, and makeup days that don't get used.

They did include at least one question about the SY 26-27 calendar on the SY25-26 calendar survey that happened last fall.

The result was 70% of respondents preferred starting one week before Labor Day, vs. 30% two weeks before.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DA2QU36AEFCC/$file/Draft%202025%E2%80%932026%20SY%20Calendar%20241022%20PPT.pdf

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...

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.

My kids are rising seniors and they’ve never started two weeks before Labor Day. It would really, really help with AP classes if they started August 24th, but my kids will graduate that June so I don’t have a dog in this fight.

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.

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 certainly hope they start on the 24th. I suspect they will do what they did this year -- provide a couple of options and ask people to express their preference.

I know we won't know for sure until December, but any guesses whether next year school will start on August 31st (one week before Labor Day; 10 week summer plus a couple days) or August 24th (two weeks before Labor Day, 9 week summer plus a couple days)? If it's the first, it seems like they'll have to go really deep into June to end the year...