First Day of School Set for September 5, 2017; Last Day of School Set for June 12, 2018

The Board of Education voted unanimously tonight (Feb. 27) to adopt an updated calendar for the 2017-2018 school year.  The first day of school will be September 5, 2017, for students and the last day of school will now be June 12, 2018.

[See the calendar]

The Board of Education originally adopted a calendar for the 2017-2018 school year at its December 13, 2016, meeting. However, immediately subsequent to the Board’s action, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and other counties received communication from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) that clarified the state’s position that school districts would need  to conclude all possible instructional make-up days due to emergency and weather-related closings by the June 15 timeframe set by Governor Larry Hogan’s executive order.  The calendar the Board adopted in December had make-up days after June 15 and therefore was not compliant with the new direction from the state.  

The updated calendar is based on 182 instructional days, which is two more than the minimum required by the state but two less than previous years. The calendar adopted by the Board for the 2017-2018 school year is now consistent with Governor Larry Hogan’s executive order that established a timeframe for the school year to begin no earlier than the Tuesday after Labor Day and to end no later than June 15. 

The Board also adopted a contingency plan that identifies dates that could be used as instructional days if necessary to make up school due to emergency and weather-related closings.  Two of these days are the first two days of the scheduled spring break, March 26 and 27, 2018. One day, January 26, 2018, would replace a professional development day. Additional contingency dates would extend the school year until June 15, 2018.