Teacher professional days and religious holidays should be half days unless 15% of the MCPS population is impacted (this used to be the case and is why the county started observing Jewish holidays). Half days count toward the 180 requirement. MCPS honors all religious observances by excusing student absences and assignments, so there is no need to have full days off for holidays that do not have a significant impact on attendance.

Lunar New Year is not even a religious holiday (I'm Asian and we celebrate it).

The transition day was worthless and should be eliminated because it doesn't count.

If MCPS would use the built in snow make-up days that are posted in the calendar each year rather than tacking on the end, we could keep the last day of school intact except in the rare occurrence having 5+ snow days. When a snow day occurs, we should automatically make it up on the NEXT POSTED MAKE-UP-DAY on the calendar. Adding make-up days in June is worthless - AP Exams are over and kids are entirely checked out.

If they made these changes, we could easily start and end school in a reasonable amount of time and also maximize instructional time before AP Exams in the spring.

This trend toward dragging out the school year as much as possible just makes no sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These calendars are ridiculous. I attended MCPS in the 90s and early 2000s, and now have a child in MCPS. I was like I swear we would start after Labor Day AND end before June 20th.

Sure enough that was true:

2001-2002: Started 9/4, ended 6/19 https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=378

1996-1997: Started 9/3, ended 6/19 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/08/22/montgomery-county-school-calendar/a3850623-9863-4ce3-840b-5158d8266ff3/

Then here's a year starting before Labor Day:
1994-1995: Started 8/30, ended 6/15 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/08/25/montgomery-county-public-schools-calendar-for-1994-95/efa9fc22-d1c8-4a11-819f-21f550af7d7f/

Finally I get to a year that resembles today:

2003-2004: Started 8/26, ended 6/16 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/08/25/montgomery-county-public-schools-calendar-for-1994-95/efa9fc22-d1c8-4a11-819f-21f550af7d7f/

Anyone know why those earlier years were able to start after LD and end around June 15, yet now they can't?

It is primarily the cultural/religious celebrations that have been added.

Adding a day to the calendar that you can’t count as an instructional day sure didn’t help, and to do it at the expense of a built in snow day is asinine.

+1

Get Maryland to change the law! In the age of diversity hours is the way to go! 180 days along with additional days off pushes the end back a week!

Anonymous wrote:Is the Sept 11 holiday due to the anniversary of the attacks?

I think it's a mistake and they think it's Rosh Hashana (which is really Saturday 9/12) but given next year is the 25th anniversary that possibility can't be ignored as some crazy people want 9/11 to be a Federal Holiday!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These calendars are ridiculous. I attended MCPS in the 90s and early 2000s, and now have a child in MCPS. I was like I swear we would start after Labor Day AND end before June 20th.

Sure enough that was true:

2001-2002: Started 9/4, ended 6/19 https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=378

1996-1997: Started 9/3, ended 6/19 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/08/22/montgomery-county-school-calendar/a3850623-9863-4ce3-840b-5158d8266ff3/

Then here's a year starting before Labor Day:
1994-1995: Started 8/30, ended 6/15 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/08/25/montgomery-county-public-schools-calendar-for-1994-95/efa9fc22-d1c8-4a11-819f-21f550af7d7f/

Finally I get to a year that resembles today:

2003-2004: Started 8/26, ended 6/16 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/08/25/montgomery-county-public-schools-calendar-for-1994-95/efa9fc22-d1c8-4a11-819f-21f550af7d7f/

Anyone know why those earlier years were able to start after LD and end around June 15, yet now they can't?

It is primarily the cultural/religious celebrations that have been added.

This is the issue as even the 2020-21 calendar went Aug 31-June 16 thus an Aug 31 start shouldn't go till June 23!

Is the Sept 11 holiday due to the anniversary of the attacks?

I know this will be a controversial comment, but here goes. June 19 is on a Saturday in 2027. Just because the federal holiday is on June 18, the school system is not required to be closed. The June 23 end date in that calendar scenario is crazy.

A few years back, New Years Day was on a Sunday and Howard County had school on Monday, Jan 2. I'm not sure if this was during the Hogan mandate or not.... I just remember thinking "Well, they have to get to the school days in somehow."

The board's Policy Management Committee is discussing next year's calendar on Monday at 3:30 pm.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=DN4NE55F7A51

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These calendars are ridiculous. I attended MCPS in the 90s and early 2000s, and now have a child in MCPS. I was like I swear we would start after Labor Day AND end before June 20th.

Sure enough that was true:

2001-2002: Started 9/4, ended 6/19 https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=378

1996-1997: Started 9/3, ended 6/19 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/08/22/montgomery-county-school-calendar/a3850623-9863-4ce3-840b-5158d8266ff3/

Then here's a year starting before Labor Day:
1994-1995: Started 8/30, ended 6/15 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/08/25/montgomery-county-public-schools-calendar-for-1994-95/efa9fc22-d1c8-4a11-819f-21f550af7d7f/

Finally I get to a year that resembles today:

2003-2004: Started 8/26, ended 6/16 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/08/25/montgomery-county-public-schools-calendar-for-1994-95/efa9fc22-d1c8-4a11-819f-21f550af7d7f/

Anyone know why those earlier years were able to start after LD and end around June 15, yet now they can't?

It is primarily the cultural/religious celebrations that have been added.

Adding a day to the calendar that you can’t count as an instructional day sure didn’t help, and to do it at the expense of a built in snow day is asinine.

Anonymous wrote:These calendars are ridiculous. I attended MCPS in the 90s and early 2000s, and now have a child in MCPS. I was like I swear we would start after Labor Day AND end before June 20th.

Sure enough that was true:

2001-2002: Started 9/4, ended 6/19 https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=378

1996-1997: Started 9/3, ended 6/19 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/08/22/montgomery-county-school-calendar/a3850623-9863-4ce3-840b-5158d8266ff3/

Then here's a year starting before Labor Day:
1994-1995: Started 8/30, ended 6/15 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/08/25/montgomery-county-public-schools-calendar-for-1994-95/efa9fc22-d1c8-4a11-819f-21f550af7d7f/

Finally I get to a year that resembles today:

2003-2004: Started 8/26, ended 6/16 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/08/25/montgomery-county-public-schools-calendar-for-1994-95/efa9fc22-d1c8-4a11-819f-21f550af7d7f/

Anyone know why those earlier years were able to start after LD and end around June 15, yet now they can't?

It is primarily the cultural/religious celebrations that have been added.

These calendars are ridiculous. I attended MCPS in the 90s and early 2000s, and now have a child in MCPS. I was like I swear we would start after Labor Day AND end before June 20th.

Sure enough that was true:

2001-2002: Started 9/4, ended 6/19 https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=378

1996-1997: Started 9/3, ended 6/19 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/08/22/montgomery-county-school-calendar/a3850623-9863-4ce3-840b-5158d8266ff3/

Then here's a year starting before Labor Day:
1994-1995: Started 8/30, ended 6/15 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/08/25/montgomery-county-public-schools-calendar-for-1994-95/efa9fc22-d1c8-4a11-819f-21f550af7d7f/

Finally I get to a year that resembles today:

2003-2004: Started 8/26, ended 6/16 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1994/08/25/montgomery-county-public-schools-calendar-for-1994-95/efa9fc22-d1c8-4a11-819f-21f550af7d7f/

Anyone know why those earlier years were able to start after LD and end around June 15, yet now they can't?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like option A. Losing a week of summer in August is painful; starting summer a week later in June is much more palatable.

I could not disagree more.

In hs, many camos start in early June so you don’t get to do them or miss school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like option A. Losing a week of summer in August is painful; starting summer a week later in June is much more palatable.

I could not disagree more.

I agree with pp - a is my choice

Anonymous wrote:I like option A. Losing a week of summer in August is painful; starting summer a week later in June is much more palatable.

I could not disagree more.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hysterical that they can't end before June 15 in any of these. I hated the Hogan mandate, but if you're starting August 24, you really should be able to be done way before June 15. (And similarly, starting on Aug 31, you should be done well ahead of June 23)

The 2020-21 calendar started August 31 and ended June 16 (barring any makeups). Why 2026-27 is a week longer is the big mystery!
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/elementary-schools/d-g/drewes/homepage/0332.20ct_2020-21_schoolyearcalendar_amended-10_6.pdf

Transition day, closed the Weds before Thanksgiving (which is probably the right call, no learning happening then and teachers should be able to travel), Juneteenth, and then a couple other extra non-instructional days, it looks like?

Transition day takes away a free snow day.
Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the only added day that makes sense.
Juneteenth is only an issue if the year is pushed after that day.
It looks like the differences are
1. September 11
2. Wednesday before Thanksgiving
3. April 21
4.Either the 1st Eid or the transition day (that calendar only had 181 days with Eid #1 but there was no transition day)
5. The 2nd Eid (which used to be in the summer)
6. Juneteenth when the year is pushed after
-1. Lunar New Year
One day is gotten back because Lunar New Year which was on Friday, February 12, 2021 will be on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
Some of these teacher workdays need to be split into 2 half days due to Maryland law. While annoying it gains a day back from an extra holiday. The April 16, 2026 Q3 workday is a good candidate because there is a day off the following week.