The Board of Education approved the school calendar for the 2003-2004 school year during its business meeting on December 10. Included in the calendar is a contingency calendar to be used if the school year is disrupted by emergencies and schools are closed.

The school calendar is based on 184 instructional days for students, including four contingency days and 195 duty days for teachers. The first day of school for students will occur before Labor Day on Tuesday, August 26, 2003. The last day of school for students will be on Wednesday, June 16, 2004.

The calendar includes 13 holidays, including one mandated presidential primary day on March 2, 2004, and a spring break (April 5 - 8) before Easter, which falls on April 11. Five professional development days for teachers have been incorporated into the calendar that will be used to focus on instruction and improving student achievement.

The calendar can be accessed on the MCPS web site at the link below.