The Board of Education prevailed this week [Tuesday, January 18, 2000] with the United States Supreme Court in defending Maryland state law prohibiting school on the Friday and Monday surrounding Easter.

The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision last year to uphold the holidays, which were enacted in Maryland in 1865. The lower court had ruled that the Friday and Monday holidays did not violate the separation of church and state.

The holidays are used by MCPS and other Maryland school systems as a continuation of spring break.